


Alone Together

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Intervention, Mountain Dixons, New Neighbors, eventual plot twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 08:32:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 45,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14132220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: Gabrielle Ellis is recently divorced and moves back home where her only remaining family lives. She moves across the street from two brothers who become her friends, until one becomes more.





	1. Neighbors

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm back. Again, lol. 
> 
> All the places mentioned in this story are real. They exist, from the town to the hot dog stand. I should know, I was born there.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy my little story. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Chapter One- Neighbors

 

Gabrielle pulled into the driveway of a rundown house on a dead-end road. She sat in her truck and just looked at it. It definitely needed new siding and paint; gutters and shutters, as well. She had only seen the house once before, when she agreed to buy it and take on the money pit that would be her new home. 

 

Her divorce had been finalized six months ago and she had immediately put her house up for sale to move back home. Home for her was Mudfork, West Virginia. 

 

Both her mother’s and father’s families had been here for generations and one of the hollers had been named after her paternal great-great grandfather. 

 

The only family she had left lived here; a few cousins on her mother’s side. Everyone from her mother’s generation was gone and it was up to her and her cousins to keep everything together.

 

After a while, she got out of the truck and walked up the steps to the front door. Pulling a set of keys from her jeans pocket, she unlocked it and stepped inside. It was still as musty and dusty as it had been the first time she saw it, but it didn’t bother her. She was willing to work sunup to sundown to get this place in order.

 

She walked from room to room to re-assess the state of things and was satisfied that it wasn’t going to be too much to handle. She would have to find someone to do a bit of drywall work in a couple of the rooms, but her cousin Barb could tell her who to call.

 

It was late in the afternoon and she wanted to get her boxes from the trailer before it got too late. She was meeting her cousins for dinner and needed a good, hot shower to get all the grime off her.

 

She stood inside the small trailer organizing the boxes and separating the heavier ones from the lighter ones when she heard someone banging on the side of the metal box. 

 

Peering out and around the corner, she saw a man leaning up against the side and knocking on it as if he were waiting for the door to open. “Excuse me, may I help you?”

 

“I’m here to help you, honey. Ol’ Merle noticed you’re moving in and wanted to offer you some neighborly assistance. I’ll carry all those heavy boxes for ya, sugar. There’s no need for you to work that hard.”

 

“Well, Merle, I appreciate the offer, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I loaded this puppy by myself and I can unload it. But thank you.”

 

Just as Merle started to plead his case, a man came bursting out of a house across the street. “Merle! What the fuck are you doing, man! Get back in the house and leave her the hell alone for Christ’s sake!”

 

The man ran across the street to where Gabrielle and Merle were standing. “I’m sorry for my brother. I apologize for anything he said or did; he’s a drunk asshole.”

 

“Now listen here, baby brother. I’m neither drunk nor being an asshole. I simply saw this beautiful lady and offered my moving services like a gentleman should.”

 

Merle’s baby brother studied him for awhile then looked at Gabrielle. “I know he’s drunk; half the case is gone and I ain’t had one of ‘em.” Looking back at his brother, he sighed. “Why don’t ya just come back home with me. I’ll put in that old war movie ya like and you can lay on the couch, maybe take a nap.”

 

Merle looked between his brother and the woman, finally settling on his brother. “You’re the asshole, man. Treatin’ me like I’m a fucking drunk or a kid. I’m ten years older than you, boy. I give the orders around here.”

 

Gabrielle jumped off the trailer and put her hand on Merle’s shoulder. “I appreciate the offer Merle, but I already told ya, I got it under control. Packed the boxes myself and loaded ‘em up. I got a moving truck that’s supposed to be here tomorrow, maybe you and your brother can help me move the big stuff? The couch, chairs and bed? That’s the shit I really need help with.”

 

“We can definitely do that. Can’t we, Darylina?”

 

The brother rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah, we can do that.” He held his hand out to the woman. “My name’s Daryl Dixon. You’ve met my brother Merle.”

 

She shook his hand and smiled. “I’m Gabrielle Ellis. It’s really nice to meet you both.”

 

“You picked the perfect place to live; we got a holler named after ya,” Merle slurred. 

 

“As a matter of fact it is, Merle, but I’ll save the stories for when you’re sober enough to remember them.”

 

Daryl watched her talk to Merle. She didn’t seem angry or annoyed, in fact, she was smiling. He was relieved; for as charming as Merle could be with women, he could also provoke some hellish anger in them.

 

“We best be gettin back home, let you unpack in peace. Whenever you're ready for us to help tomorrow, just knock on the door,” Daryl said. “And if you need anything before then, don’t hesitate to let us know.”

 

Merle didn’t say a word, just started walking back across the street. Daryl and Gabrielle watched him go, and before Daryl followed him, he turned back to his new neighbor. “Thanks for not getting too upset with him. He’s the biggest asshole I know, but he’s been a good brother.”

 

“I’m sure he’s a great brother, Daryl, and he was fine. Didn’t say anything mean or offensive, just offered to help me with my boxes. It was good to meet ya both. I haven’t been home in years and I don’t know anybody but my family. It’s nice to know I’ve got good neighbors.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabrielle was able to unload the trailer before the sun set and emptied the boxes with her clothes and toiletries. After a quick shower and hair wash, she called her cousin Barb to find out about their dinner plans. Everyone was meeting at Giovanni’s in an hour, so that gave her plenty of time to do her hair and put on a little makeup.

 

As she was getting ready, she thought about the two brothers that lived across the street. They had seemed nice and polite, but she had been fooled before. She would ask her family if any of them knew either Daryl or Merle and hopefully she would be able to find out more about them.

 

Thirty-five minutes later, she walked out of her new house. As she walked down the steps she saw Daryl sitting on his front porch smoking a cigarette. She waved at him and walked across the street to his house. 

 

“Good evening, Daryl. How’s Merle doing?”

 

Daryl smirked. “He’s sleepin’ it off; was on the couch snoring by the time I got back inside.” 

 

“Well, I’m sure that’s a good thing.” An awkward moment fell between them before Daryl spoke again.

 

“You been here less than a day and already got a hot date?”

 

“No, I’m meeting a few of my cousins at Giovanni’s. I haven’t seen some of them in years.”

 

Another lull fell into the conversation and Gabrielle looked at her watch. “I better go. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

 

“Have a good night. Come by when you're ready.” Daryl yelled across the street as she got into her truck and drove off.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Barb, Bonnie and Laura were already waiting when Gabrielle arrived at the restaurant. They hugged excessively and giggled all the way to their table. 

 

“How was the trip, Gabby?” Laura asked first.

 

“It was okay; eight hours go by pretty fast. I had my CDs and ipod going the whole time.”

 

“Ya know, Gabby, I can’t do anything without my music,” Laura added. “I’d go crazy if I couldn’t listen to my songs.”

 

“Have you got settled in or did you bother to unpack anything?” Bonnie asked.

 

“I unloaded the trailer, but I only unpacked the clothes and toiletries. I got twenty-foot truck coming in tomorrow with the big stuff. The bed, couch, chairs; all that stuff.”

 

“You’re gonna need some help with that,” Barb added. “I gotta work tomorrow or I’d help you.”

 

“Actually, I found help already. Do any of you know Merle and Daryl Dixon?”

 

“I know Merle,” Barb said. “He and I went to high school together. I know Daryl too. They’re good guys.”

 

“Well, Merle came over and offered to help me with my boxes today. He seemed nice enough, almost gentlemanly. He and Daryl are gonna help me with the big stuff tomorrow.”

 

“Daryl’s a cutie, isn’t he. Both of them have had a rough life, but they’re good men; they’ll be good neighbors.”

 

“I hope so,” Gabrielle replied. “I could really use some.”


	2. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Merle's perspective on their new neighbor.

Chapter Two- Moving Day

 

The next morning came way too soon for Gabrielle. She regretted taking the alarm clock out of the box and blindly reached for the snooze button. As she moved, her entire body screamed at her; sleeping on the floor did not agree with her. She had intended to buy an air mattress before she left, but didn’t take the time; now she regretted it. 

 

It took twenty minutes for her to get off the floor and standing on both feet. Normally she would get coffee going first thing in the morning, but her body demanded a hot shower before caffeine.

 

She grabbed the towel she had used yesterday and slowly made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Gabrielle stood under the shower head, the hottest water she could stand running over her body. She would take some Ibuprofen when she got out, and hoped that she would be able to move well enough to get the rest of her boxes unpacked and help Merle and Daryl as much as she could.

 

Sitting at the kitchen table, she downed her Ibuprofen with her coffee and nibbled on some toast. Looking through her kitchen window she saw the Dixon’s house. She had been happy to hear that they were good men; she hadn’t known a lot of those in her life, and hoped she would be able to trust them. 

 

She saw Daryl and Merle come out the front door, each with a cup of coffee and a pack of cigarettes. She watched them as they smoked, drank, and talked to each other. At one point, she noticed Daryl’s face morph into smile, then immediately he stood and started yelling at Merle. When he’d said his peace, he went back inside, letting the door slam behind him.

 

Looking at her watch, she saw that it was eight thirty in the morning. The moving truck was scheduled to arrive around ten, so she had some time to spare before she would go across the street to get Merle and Daryl. She had remembered to plug up the refrigerator before going to bed the night before, and now she needed to fill it up. She grabbed her keys and locked her door, then got in her truck and headed down the street to the grocery store.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl woke up before the sun hit the horizon. He was always up at the crack of dawn, but he had been restless all night long and had barely closed his eyes at all. 

 

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he padded quietly into the kitchen and turned the coffee pot on. While the coffee was brewing, he jumped in the shower and got dressed. Merle was still sleeping it off, so he tried to be as quiet as he could.

 

He sat at the kitchen table and debated whether or not to fix breakfast. He decided against it since Merle wasn’t awake yet and instead took his coffee into the living room. Opening the front curtains, he saw Gabrielle’s house across the street.

 

Neither Daryl, nor Merle had ever bothered to know their neighbors. They had grown up in the mountains where neighbors were few and far between, so when they were adults and moved into a more densely populated area, it hadn’t been a necessity, or a priority.

 

He never would have introduced himself to Gabrielle if it hadn’t been for Merle’s drunk ass. Merle did not have a good track record when it came to being drunk and in good proximity of a pretty woman, so whether he wanted to or not, his existence was thrust upon this poor woman.

 

Daryl was surprised that she had been so understanding about the situation. He was grateful that he arrived before it got out of hand and she laid Merle out on the ground. She seemed nice enough and he had offered to help her because he felt horrible about exposing her to Merle; no decent woman should have to endure that so soon. 

 

He watched her house, not in a stalker type way, but in a hopeful one. He had always wanted a neighbor he could consider a friend, and she was his only prospect. She was pretty as well, which was an added bonus.

 

He had no idea how long he sat there nursing his coffee and thinking about Gabrielle, but was brought back to reality by the sound of Merle burping and farting his way down the hall.

 

“Hey, little brother,” Merle said as he yawned and stomped into the living room. “You left me some joe, right? I don’t know how the hell that fancy machine works.”

 

“Yeah, ya moron, there’s a whole pot sitting there for ya. If you can’t figure out how to pour water and push a button it’s no wonder ya still living with your baby brother.”

 

“You’re the one still living with your big brother, moron,” Merle replied as he sat in the recliner across from Daryl. “I can drive to the stop and rob down the street and get coffee as well as any other adult.”

 

Daryl snickered at that. He and his brother were well aware that they still lived together out of codependent necessity. “So, you heard from hotty across the street yet?”

 

“Her name is Gabrielle, asshole. You made a big enough fool of yourself yesterday, don’t start that shit today.”

 

“At least I had the balls to introduce myself; be a gentleman and offer my services to help a pretty lady move in.”

 

“So you’re saying if she’d been butt ass ugly, you would have stayed your drunk ass in the house?”

 

“Nope, an ugly ass woman is still a woman with needs, Darylina. When your drunk, they all beautiful,” he said and laughed as he went back into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.

 

Daryl ignored him and followed his brother back into the kitchen. He warmed his half empty cup of coffee in the microwave and took eggs and bacon out of the fridge. While breakfast was frying up in a pan, he dropped bread in the toaster and went back to his coffee.

 

The brothers didn’t speak to each other while they ate. Conversation during a meal was something they had never enjoyed. As kids, one peep would get them slapped right out of their chairs, and they couldn’t get out of the habit of being silent. 

 

After Daryl loaded up the dishwasher, he and Merle took their coffee and went out to the front porch; they each lit a cigarette and settled in. “What time is that truck supposed to be here?” Merle asked.

 

“She didn’t say. I told her to come get us when it’s here.”

 

Merle looked across the street and saw the woman in question looking at them through the window. “I think she’s got her eye on you.”

 

Daryl instinctively looked up at her house and saw her standing at the window. She was looking in their direction, but there was no way to tell if she was looking directly at him.

 

“You don’t know that Merle. We’re both sitting here, hell, she could be looking at the house next door.”

 

“Boy, you’re fucking blind as a bat. You didn’t see how she was looking at you yesterday? I fucking saw it and I was drunk on my ass. You barely looked her in the eye, no wonder you didn’t see it.”

 

Daryl stood up, and threw his cigarette into the yard. “Merle, you need to get your head outta your ass! You didn’t see shit; your just running off at the mouth because you want me to be more like you and fuck every woman that fucking breathes! I ain’t like that; I don’t want that! Fuck off!”

 

Daryl walked back inside and let the screen door slam behind him. Merle shook his head and chuckled to himself. That boy liked the new girl across the street, that was pretty obvious, even to him. He was gonna find a way to make it obvious to Daryl too. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabrielle pulled the truck into the driveway and grabbed the bag holding the eggs and bread before getting out. She took them inside and came back out to unload the truck.

 

When she got there, Daryl was walking across the street. “Need any help?”

 

“You don’t have to, Daryl. It’s not that much; I can get it. You need to save your strength for the moving truck,” she said, smiling.

 

“If it’s not that much, then let me do it. You go ahead and start putting shit away and I’ll bring it in.”

 

“Okay,” she replied and turned to go back inside. Daryl brought in the first few bags and sat them down on the counter, then went outside to get what was left.

 

She heard him drop the rest of the bags on the table and turned to look at him. “Thank you.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me. That’s what neighbors do, ain’t it?”

 

“The good ones,” she answered. “Have you and Merle had breakfast? I can whip something up real quick before the truck gets here.”

 

“Thanks, but we already ate. What time is the truck supposed to get here?”

 

She looked at her watch and saw that it was nine-twenty. “They’re scheduled to be here at ten, give or take. There should be enough time if ya got something to do.”

 

“Ain’t got nothing to do. That’s why I offered to help ya with the groceries. Merle’s been an ass this morning, but he’s sober. He ain’t gonna drink when he’s got something important to do. Just needed to get out of the house for a bit.”

 

“I know what that’s like. My ex-husband was an alcoholic. I got to the point where I didn’t care if he came home or not.”

 

“How long have you been divorced?”

 

“Six months,” she told him. “I wanted to move before it was final, but I had to save up the money and find a place to live. My cousin, Barb helped me find this place. I know it looks sad, but it’s what I can afford.”

 

“Doesn’t look like it needs too much work; what do you need done?” Daryl asked. 

 

“Some drywall work in the bedrooms and living room, pipes and water tank need looked at, I want to make sure the wiring is good, and paint and shutters outside.”

 

“I can do your drywall; I used to work construction in high school, Merle’s good with plumbing and electric, and we can both paint and put up shutters.”

 

“Oh god, Daryl. You do not have to do all this for me. I appreciate it, believe me, I do, but I feel like I’m taking advantage of you and Merle.”

 

“Ya ain’t taking advantage; I offered. If Merle don’t wanna do it, I can help ya find someone, but I’ll still do the drywall and paint. Ya don’t have to pay me; it’s what good neighbors do.”

 

“Alright, we’ll talk about it,” she agreed. That was the exact moment the moving truck pulled up in front of her house. 

 

“I’ll run and get Merle. Be back in a second,” he said and left the house to collect his brother.


	3. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has taken a chance on my story. Here is another little bit to keep the ball rolling. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Three- Moving In

 

Daryl and Merle stopped at the moving truck as they walked back to Gabrielle’s. The brothers helped the movers unload the truck, then sent them on their way. When Gabby had all the groceries put up, she went outside to find out what the plan was.

 

“Shouldn’t take more than an hour, hour and a half to get this shit inside, then however long it takes to get it put together and where ya want it,” Merle said sizing up the furniture. 

 

“Whenever y’all get everything inside, I’m gonna fix us some lunch, then we can discuss where everything goes,” Gabrielle said and went back inside the house.

 

The brothers carried in every piece, from her bed and dresser to the sofa, chairs, and desk. The bed frame, mattress, box springs, and dresser went straight into the bedroom, while the sofa, chairs, and desk stayed in the living room. 

 

It had taken an hour and a quarter, just as Merle predicted and by the time everything was in the house Gabrielle had lunch waiting in the kitchen. “Something sure does smell good,” Merle exclaimed loudly as he and Daryl came in and sat at the table.

 

“It’s nothing fancy, just grilled cheddar and mozzarella sandwiches with bacon and tomato and steak fries.” Gabrielle said as she sat a plate in front of each man.

 

“Well that sounds fancy to me,” Merle laughed. 

 

Gabrielle took three bottles of Coke from the refrigerator and sat them on the table then grabbed her own plate from the counter and sat down. “Thanks again. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate y’all helping me out. I wish I could do more that just provide lunch.”

 

“I told ya not to worry about that,” Daryl said. “Trust me, lunch is plenty enough for us. We don’t fix shit like this at home. The most exotic we get is venison stew.”

 

“I love venison!” Gabby exclaimed. “Do you get it at the store?”

 

“No, we kill it ourselves. There’s a spot up along the mountain here,” Merle said. “We got a shade up there and sometimes we’ll spend the night. More times than not, we come home with something good.”

 

“I would love to have some next time y’all go out.”

 

“I think we can arrange that,” Merle said. “We got some in the freezer right now, maybe you can come over for dinner one night this week?”

 

Gabrielle looked at Merle, then at Daryl; the younger brother had a shy grin on his face. “Thank you so much. I would love that. I’m so glad I met the two of you.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

After lunch, Gabby showed Daryl and Merle where she wanted the furniture to go. The living room was slightly larger than she had remembered and she found there would be enough space for a three to four shelf bookcase. This made her very happy because four of the boxes she had taken off the trailer were full of books, and she had left many, many more at her old home in South Carolina.

 

When they went into the bedroom, she helped them put the bed together, choosing to set it in the middle of the room against the back wall. The dresser was set in the corner opposite the bed.

 

Daryl noticed the drywall damage by the door and inspected it. “This ain’t nothin’, ya know. It’s a pretty easy fix. I have to work tomorrow, but I can come by after I get home.”

 

Gabrielle shook her head and sat on the side of the unmade bed. “Y’all don’t know anything about me. Why are you being so nice?”

 

The brothers looked at each other for a moment before Daryl spoke. “I guess it’s because you were nice to us. Ain’t none of these people give us the time of day since we moved here. They take their kids inside whenever we walk out the door. You didn’t run or threaten to call the cops on our ass. I guess we just wanna prove that ain’t no mistake on your part.”

 

“I’m well aware of how the people around here think,” she replied. “I may not have grown up in Mudfork, but I’ve heard a million stories. I’m just not used to people volunteering to help me or do nice things for me. I always do things on my own.”

 

Daryl sat next to her on the bed while Merle looked on. “You don’t have to anymore. Merle and I are across the street whenever ya need anything. If one of us can do it, we will.”

 

“I can do stuff; I’m capable,” she said defensively.

 

“We know that,” Merle offered. “A single woman’s gotta have some balls to live by herself in this holler and you gotta be able to do shit on your own to get this far. It’s nice to have someone around that don’t look at us like we’re Satan incarnate. Let us help you get settled, we’ll let ya clean our house if it’ll make you feel better.”

 

Gabrielle laughed, then looked at both Merle and Daryl. “I’m sorry. I’m used to having to do everything myself. I stopped asking for help years ago, so I got out of the habit of getting it. I do appreciate it though, and I’m willing to clean your house, but I ain’t touching your damn nasty clothes.”

 

Both brothers laughed, but Gabrielle’s statement had given Daryl something to think about. He and Merle were the same, never expecting help or assistance because no one ever gave or offered it. It was a lonely way to live, but at least they had each other. It seemed like Gabrielle didn’t have anyone.

 

After the furniture was in place, the trio discussed what other work needed to be done. Merle crawled under the house to inspect the pipes and then checked the wiring to see how bad it was. While Merle was doing his thing, Daryl and Gabrielle went out to the back porch to get some fresh air.

 

“Your brother’s a good man, I think,” Gabrielle offered.

 

“He is,” Daryl agreed. “He used to be real heavy into drugs, but he went through rehab for that a few years ago. Been clean from that since then. Now all I gotta do is get him to stop drinking, although he doesn’t do that like he used to either.”

 

“I’ve known a few alcoholics in my day,” Gabrielle confessed. “He seems like a much kinder and gentler one that I’ve ever been around.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “He wasn’t kind or gentle when I was growing up. There were times he’d come home so fucked up, he’d think I was our Pa and beat the holy hell outta me.”

 

“Oh my God, Daryl!”

 

“Hey, I lived, okay. He and I both had our share of shit growing up and we came out the other side. He’s got his way of dealing with it and I got mine. I ain’t never met nobody that ain’t got shit in their lives somewhere, ya know?”

 

Gabrielle hummed in agreement. She certainly had had a lot of shit, sometimes she thought she’d been born in a storm of it. “It’s good that y’all still have each other; still take care of each other.”

 

“I take care of him more than he takes care of me, but that’s fine; always been that way since our parents died. I’d do anything to keep him with me. I don’t know if I could survive without him.”

 

It was that moment Merle came banging out the back door. “Looks like you're gonna hafta get all the pipes replaced. Don’t look like they’ve ever been cleaned or maintenanced. The wiring ain’t too bad except for the kitchen and laundry. Somebody split those wires and you ain’t got enough power to use either the stove or the washing machine.”

 

“Goddammit!” she yelled. “How much is all that shit gonna cost?”

 

“To get a full circuit to the stove and the washing machine, probably a grand. To get all the pipes under the house replaced would be about the same.”

 

Gabrielle sighed. “If there’s a laundromat around here, I could do that for a while, and I got the toaster oven to cook with, but I ain’t gonna be able to boil water.”

 

Daryl looked up at his brother before making an offer to their new neighbor. “Our washer and dryer work just fine. You can use ‘em anytime you need to. I think we got Merle’s old electric burner in the attic. You can have it to boil water on.”

 

“We both got work tomorrow,” Merle added, “but we’ll leave ya a key to get in. You can come over and do any laundry ya got and grab the single burner.”

 

“Y’all cannot be real,” she said, shaking her head for the millionth time. “Thank you so much; I mean it.”

 

“No problem, sugar,” Merle said as he went back into the house.

 

Daryl and Gabrielle followed him inside and the three gathered together by the front door.

 

“You’re probably sick of our ugly mugs by now, sweetheart. We’re gonna get outta here and go home. I’ll get Daryl to bring over the spare key later,” Merle said and turned to walk out the door. Gabrielle stopped him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

“Thank you again,” she mumbled into his neck. Merle froze when she embraced him and the brothers looked at each other with uncomfortable surprise.

 

Merle subtly moved her arms from around his neck and took a step back. “Told ya it wasn’t nothing. We gotta go.” He turned on his heels and was halfway across the road by the time Gabrielle turned back to Daryl. 

 

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

 

“Naw, Merle ain’t used to gettin’ touched by a woman if he ain’t fucking her. He’ll be fine.”

 

“Okay, would it be uncomfortable if I hugged you too? I’m not used to hugging people either, but I do with my friends; people I trust.”

 

Daryl looked down at the floor and scuffed his shoes against the dirty rug. “Yeah, guess it’d be okay.”

 

Gabrielle practically leaped at him. Daryl had to grab her by the waist to keep her from knocking them over. She squeezed his neck so tight he could barely breathe, but he didn’t give a fuck. She felt good in his arms and he had Merle to thank for that. If he hadn’t been drunk and on the prowl, he would never had met his beautiful, new neighbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting two chapters every Wednesday.


	4. Laundry Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl is a smooth mofo, even if he doesn't know it.

Chapter Four- Laundry Day

 

Gabrielle woke up the next morning on her comfy bed. She had never been so grateful for it in her whole life, having fallen asleep before her head hit the pillow.

 

Daryl had come by late the previous night to bring her the spare key; it was in his pocket and he had a beer in each hand. Merle had told him to take the beers; he said it would be an excuse to spend time alone with her, but Daryl was afraid it would be too presumptuous and maybe she would get the wrong idea.

 

He had worried for nothing because she eagerly accepted the drink and had invited him to sit on the back porch with her.

 

They hadn't talked about much; he told her that he worked at the hardware store in town and did some handiwork on the side for some of the customers. He told her that Merle worked in the mines, and that it scared him to death.

 

She told him that she hadn’t been able to find a job yet; she had a background in office work, but had a Bachelor's degree in English and had always wanted to be a writer. He asked if she would let him read some of her stories; she blushed bright red and told him maybe someday.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

The first thing Gabrielle did after getting out of bed that morning was look out the window. She saw that Daryl’s truck was gone and sighed; she knew they both had to be at work early, but was disappointed she had missed them.

 

After taking a shower and eating a breakfast of frozen waffles, she gathered her dirty clothes along with the key Daryl had given her, then walked across the street to the brothers home.

 

She was surprised by what she saw once inside the house. There weren’t pizza boxes or beer bottles laying around; the sink was empty, the counters were clean and the carpet had been vacuumed. 

 

She assumed Daryl was the brother responsible for the neatness and cleanliness of the place; not that Merle couldn’t have been, but he didn’t seem the type to be concerned with that sort of thing.

 

Sitting the laundry basket on the couch, she gave herself a tour of the home. Every room was spotless, not a speck of dirt or dust, save for one; the room she assumed belonged to Merle. That’s where she found the pizza boxes and beer bottles. There was also a mysterious smell that she didn’t care to find out about.

 

Down the hall was Daryl’s room. The door was closed and she debated whether or not to go in; it would be an invasion of his privacy, and she was sure she wouldn’t like the idea of a perfect stranger seeing her inner sanctum, but her curiosity got the better of her.

 

Slowly pushing the door open, the first thing she saw was a twin bed with plain, blue sheets; no pillow, just sheets. The table next to the bed had a small lamp, a small alarm clock and a paperback book setting on it. Walking to the table she saw that the book was, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 

 

It was a surprising find; she has assumed Daryl would be more of the Hunting Magazine type, so she chose to keep this information to herself. There was a five-drawer dresser on the opposite wall and two bows hung on the wall as decoration; a crossbow and a longbow.

 

That was it, the entire contents of the room. The walls were off-white and clean, but undecorated except for the bows. There was no bookcase filled with books; just the one novel on his bedside table. Nothing elaborate, nothing unnecessary. Gabrielle could admire that kind of simplicity and hoped that his minimalist bedroom echoed a minimalist personality.

 

After her self-guided tour, she took the laundry to the back room where the machines were. Everything she had fit in one load and she was grateful; Gabrielle hated doing laundry.

 

Making herself comfortable on the couch, she turned the tv on and flipped through the channels, settling on a old Cheers episode on one of the local stations. Then, at some point, she drifted off and fell asleep.

 

Waking up two hours later in a strange place had Gabrielle spooked, until the remembered where she was and why she was there. Looking at the clock on the DVD player, she freaked out when she realized how long she had slept. 

 

Rushing to the back of the house, she put her clothes in the dryer and turned it on for thirty minutes. It was mid-afternoon and knowing that Daryl and Merle would be home in a few hours, she didn’t want them to find her still there, so she sat on the floor and waited for the dryer to buzz. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl never liked lulls in his workday. He liked to stay busy, keep his mind occupied, and normally the store stayed busy. They were the only hardware store in Mudfork and therefore had a monopoly.

 

He didn’t know what is was about that particular day, but a total of five people had been in the store since the doors opened, and it was two thirty in the afternoon. Daryl found a few things to do around the store; he had restocked a few shelves, put in a small supply order, and swept the floor. 

 

It was giving him too much time to think, and he hated that. Especially because of what, or who, he was thinking about. 

 

Gabrielle might be in his house at that very second. He had worked hard last night and this morning to get the place clean and hoped he hadn’t missed anything. He’d die of embarrassment if she found any of Merle’s magazines lying around.

 

Then he imagined her just being in the house; sitting on the couch, or looking in the refrigerator. He wondered if, when he got home, he would be able tell she had been there. He fantasized that she would leave a crisp, spring scent with every step she took; probably something sweet and flowery.

 

He thought about being at her house the night before, just the two of them. Sharing information about themselves and enjoying a laugh together. His heart felt full when he was with her, he had hoped for another hug when he left, but she didn’t offer one.

 

This morning when he and Merle were getting into the truck to go to work, he gazed at her house and envisioned her still asleep in the bed he had helped put together. He pictured her in a small shirt and sleep shorts, her hair feathered out on her pillow and used his lunch break to get that image out of his head once and for all.

 

He was doing a random till count at the front counter when his cell phone rang. Looking at it quickly and seeing that is was his brother, he answered it and returned the money to the register.

 

“Hey, Merle. What’s up?”

 

“Just calling to let ya know I’m going to the bar with Axel and Martinez after work so you won’t have to pick me up. We’ll probably share a cab home, so you don’t have to wait up for me neither.”

 

“Dammit! I bet there’s nothing I can say to convince ya skip the bar tonight, is there?”

 

“You don’t need me at home, little brother. You got plans anyway, don’t ya? Gonna go to Gabby’s and ‘patch her drywall’, right?” Merle said with a chuckle.

 

“You’re an asshole,” Daryl remarked sharply. “If you need me to come pick you up, call me.” 

 

“I sure will, baby bro,” Merle agreed, then ended the call.

 

No sooner than Daryl slipped his phone back in his back pocket, the bell above the door chimed. “Hey, Daryl. How's it going buddy?”

 

“Hey, Barb. Boring as hell. The one day I need to go by fast and it's dragging.”

 

“You got plans tonight?”

 

“I'm gonna patch up some drywall for my new neighbor. It's an easy fix but it might take a while. Guess I'm anxious to get going on it.”

 

“You're working at Gabby's house?” She asked.

 

“Yeah, you know her?”

 

“She's my cousin. Told me she'd met you and Merle.”

 

“She seems really nice,” he replied.

 

“She's great,” Barb replied. “We’re the only family she's got left now, so she decided to come home.”

 

Daryl didn't want to seem nosey, so he changed the subject slightly. “What kind of food does she like. She's already cooked for Merle and I once, I'd like to take her dinner so she don't feel like she's gotta do that again.”

 

Barb smiled. She knew how much her cousin loved to cook and how good she was at it. She also knew Daryl well enough to know he wasn't the buying dinner for ladies type.

 

“She'll eat just about anything. She loves hot dogs from Morrison's, burgers from Parkway, and pizza from Giovanni's.”

 

“Cool,” he replied. “I should let her know I'm bringing food so she don't start cooking something. Do you have her phone number? Do you think she'd get pissed if you gave it to me?”

 

“She won't care; a heads up would be appreciated, I'm sure.” Barb wrote down Gabrielle’s phone number and Daryl shoved it in his pocket.

 

“Thanks. I'm sorry, I never asked what ya came in for.”

 

“I need some chicken wire and nails to fix the screen door on my back porch.”

 

“Alright, follow me. I'll help ya out.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabrielle’s phone rang not too long after she got back to her house. She had been thinking about what she was going to fix for dinner and what Daryl might like. She didn’t recognize the number, but she answered it anyway.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey, Gabrielle?”

 

“Yes, who is this?”

 

“It’s Daryl. Barb came into the store today and she gave me your number. I hope that’s okay?”

 

“Of course she did, and yes, it’s more than okay. What can I do for you?”

 

“I was just calling to make sure it’s still okay for me to come over tonight and fix that hole in your wall.”

 

“Yes, please. What time do you get out of work?”

 

“I get out at five. Merle’s going out with a couple of his friends, so I don’t have to pick him up tonight.”

 

“That’s perfect,” she replied. “I should have dinner ready by the time you get here.”

 

“You ain’t cooking dinner for me. I’m gonna stop at Giovanni’s and pick up a pizza for us, maybe get some beer if that’s okay with you.”

 

“That sounds like a gift from God,” she sighed. “I could eat pizza everyday.”

 

“Good. I’ll call you after I pick up the pizza and beer.”

 

“That sounds great. Thank you, Daryl.”

 

Instead of telling her, for the umpteenth time that she didn’t need to thank him, he just told her that she was more than welcome and hung up the phone. Looking at his watch, he saw that he had two hours before he could leave. He hoped it wouldn’t take all day for it to pass by.


	5. Home Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl repairs the drywall in Gabby's bedroom and finds something interesting when he gets home.

Chapter Five- Home Repairs

 

Daryl knocked on Gabrielle’s door at six-thirty that night; he was holding a large pizza box in one hand and a six pack in the other. He had gone straight from Giovanni’s to her house, not stopping at his own. He was about to knock again when he heard the knob jiggle.

 

Gabrielle opened the door with bright eyes and a smile. She eyed the box and the beer and grabbed the drinks from Daryl’s hand. “Come on in.”

 

He followed her into the kitchen where she had a stack of paper plates sitting on the counter. Directing him to sit the box on the table, she took two plates and sat them at their chairs. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” she told Daryl. “I love to cook, but didn’t feel like it tonight. You're a lifesaver.”

 

“Don’t seem right you cooking for us again. Merle won’t ever tell ya no, but I don’t mean for ya to do it all the time. I’m a grown ass man; I know how to cook. I’ll make up some venison stew this weekend and you can come over. It’s really good.”

 

“I can’t wait,” Gabrielle replied. “Oh shit! I forgot to pick up the single burner today.”

 

Daryl was holding a piece of pizza halfway to his mouth and stilled. “You get your clothes washed though, right?” He looked at her nervously; the feeling of knowing she had been in his house creeping back to him.

 

“I did, but I was in such a hurry when I left I walked right passed it. You have a really nice house by the way. Very clean; did you do that?”

 

Daryl laughed. “Of course. Does Merle strike you as a neat freak?”

 

“Absolutely not.” Gabrielle giggled. “I’ve never seen a man’s house that was as clean as yours.”

 

“To be completely honest, I busted my ass last night and this morning trying to clean it up; didn’t want you to think we’re slobs.”

 

“I appreciate the effort, Daryl, but you didn’t have to go to that much trouble.”

 

Daryl felt that he did indeed need to go to the trouble. For the first time he gave a fuck about what somebody thought of him. He’d only known Gabrielle for two days, but in that time, she had been nicer to him than any other woman ever had been. He didn’t want to lose that because of something as stupid as a dirty house.

 

They each had two pieces of pizza and a beer, and when they were full, Daryl went out to his truck to get the repair kit, while Gabby put the leftovers in the fridge. 

 

“I'm gonna go ahead and get started,” he yelled as he came back in.

 

“If you need any help, let me know,” she yelled back, but didn't get a response.

 

Gabby didn't have a television, but she did have her laptop. Setting it up on the kitchen table, she searched her Netflix account for something good to watch. For some reason, she was in the mood for something scary and choose The Babadook, which she hadn't seen before.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl set to work right away, trying to forget that he was in her bedroom by himself. He noticed that she had done a bit of decorating since the day before. The bed was made with a fancy red comforter covering it and there was a vase on the bedside table with some kind of yellow flowers in it.

 

He wanted to be nosey and look around more; see what was in those dresser drawers, but he didn't. If she caught him doing that he would die on the spot.

 

Daryl focused on his work as he would have with any other customer and got the job done in an hour and a half. He checked over his work to make sure he had done a good job and when he was satisfied, took the repair kit and tools back to the truck.

 

Just as he was coming back inside, he heard Gabrielle scream and something hit the floor hard. Running into the kitchen, he found her on the floor next to her chair.

 

“What the fuck happened? Are you alright?” He asked, a little shaken up by what he saw.

 

“I'm fine, goddammit,” Gabby said, frustrated. “I think I broke the damn chair.”

 

“What the hell happened?” He hovered over her like a worried mother checking for bruises or breaks.

 

“I just...nothing. Nothing happened. I lost my balance.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “You lost your balance sitting in a chair with four legs planted on the floor?” He glanced at the computer screen and squinted his eyes. “Were you watching a horror movie?”

 

“Yes,” she said, embarrassed, knowing what he was thinking.

 

“Did you get scared? I heard you scream.”

 

“I did not get scared. I do not get scared. It's just a damn movie. I know what's real and what's not.”

 

“Never said ya didn't. It's just that the only other thing gonna make a woman scream like that is a mouse, and I haven't seen one of those around here.”

 

Gabrielle was not only embarrassed, but now she was getting angry.

 

“Mice don't scare me either, asshole.”

 

Daryl let out a hearty, gut busting laugh. “You're one tough lady, aren't you?”

 

“If you're gonna make fun of me you can get the hell outta my house.”

 

Daryl was having way too much fun at her expense and felt guilty for making her mad. “Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make ya mad.” 

 

After a moment of silence between them, Daryl turned and headed for the door, but Gabrielle stopped him.

 

“Daryl, don't… don't leave. I ain't gonna kick you out. You can stay if you want to.”

 

He turned around and walked straight up to her. “I'll stay. I'll protect ya from the murderer that's standing outside your window,” he said with an obnoxious smile. 

 

She slapped his arm, chastising him. “Asshole,” she said and smiled back at him. “I was just thinking, there are four beers left if you want to help me get rid of them.”

 

“Yeah, I can do that,” he said softly.

 

After getting the beers from the fridge, he followed her out to the back porch. Cracking one open for each of them, he sat next to her at old wooden table.

 

“So, how does my wall look?” she asked.

 

“Looks good. You should probably paint it though: that putty doesn't match the color in there.”

 

“I'll get to it eventually; just like everything else. Maybe you and Merle could help me pick out some paint this weekend? I’ll need some for inside and outside.”

 

“Come by the store this week; I’ll help you pick out a color and I can bring it over Friday or Saturday. We don’t keep shutters in the storeroom, but we got a catalog you can look through. I can order whatever ya like.”

 

Gabrielle almost said thank you, again, but refrained. She really had to get out of that habit. “Sounds good,” she said. 

 

After a bit more small talk, and another beer for each of them, Daryl declared that it was time he went home and got some sleep. Gabrielle walked him to the door and gave him the hug he had been waiting for. This time, he enjoyed it; wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tightly.

 

Once he was back home and the front door was locked, he made his way through the house to the bathroom. Three beers was more than he had had in awhile and he spent a good five minutes getting rid of them.

 

As he stepped back into the hallway he noticed something on the floor outside the laundry room door. Bending down, he picked up a pair of purple lace panties. When he realized what they were and who they belonged to, he dropped them as if they had burned his finger tips off.

 

It was that exact moment that he heard the front door open and his inebriated brother walk inside. He couldn’t let Merle find them; there was no telling what the asshole would say to him about it. Daryl shoved them in his pants pocket and took off down the other end of the hall to his bedroom.

 

He leaned against the door breathing heavily and reached down to turn the lock. When he heard Merle’s heavy footsteps pass his door and go into his own room, Daryl relaxed a bit. Pulling the panties from his pocket, he stared at them. He would have to return them and he dreaded that; not only because of the embarrassment of having seen them in the first place, but because of the thoughts that were now etched in his brain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has a rough night, Gabby visits the hardware store, and Merle fucks up.

Daryl lost a lot of sleep that night. He sat on his bed for a good thirty minutes wondering what to do with “the thing” Gabrielle had accidentally left at his house. He finally decided to put them in the top drawer of his dresser in hopes he wouldn't think about them again.

 

Never in his life would he be that lucky. He tossed and turned thinking about them; thinking things he really shouldn't be. He had surrendered to the temptation to smell them, but that had been stupid since they smelled like his laundry detergent.

 

He was thinking things he hadn't ever thought about with any woman; what she would look like in them, what they would smell like after she had worn them, and what they would look like strewn across his bedroom floor.

 

At some point he realized he was hard as a rock. This was the second time that day thinking about her had put him in that predicament and he was mystified by what that meant. He had fucked plenty of women in his time, but none had ever made him hard without touching him first.

 

Daryl got out of bed and took the panties from the dresser. Laying back down, he pushed his boxer briefs past his balls and began to move his hand up and down his length. With his other hand, he rubbed the panties along his chest and nipples, causing him to gasp every time the lace got caught.

 

He thought about how close he had been to her when he had mentioned the murderer outside her window. He was so close he could have kissed her, and he thought about what would have happened if he did.

 

He would have picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, throwing her down on the large, queen sized bed. He would have peeled her clothes off piece by piece and kissed every inch of her flesh.

He would have slid inside her hot, wet cavern and pushed them both to their limit until their hearts stopped beating. 

 

Daryl's hand was in a frenzy; his balls were full and aching, and without thinking he took his other hand, which had a death grip on the purple, lace panties, and began to play with his balls. When he came, he bit his lip so hard he tasted blood.

 

Breathing heavily, he laid still and realized what he had done. “Fuck!” He exclaimed as quietly as he could.

 

The panties that had smelled like a mountain spring, now smelled like his ballsack.

 

“Goddammit,” he exclaimed again. Reaching into the drawer of his nightstand, he took out a handkerchief and cleaned himself up. He got out of bed and took his underwear off, then walked to the closet. 

Daryl took some clothes out of the hamper inside and laid them on the bed alongside his boxers and those accursed panties. Putting on a fresh pair of briefs, he walked down the hall to the laundry room.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Two days later, Daryl received a call at work; it was Gabrielle and she was asking if it would be a good time to come down to the hardware store to pick out paint and shutters.

 

“Sure,” he told her. Anytime was a good time for him. “I'll go ahead and get the catalog out so you can look at the shutters.”

 

He hadn't spoken to her since the night he repaired her wall. He couldn't look her in the eye after he had defiled that delicate piece of clothing and was scared she would know what he had done if he did.

 

When the bell above the door rang thirty minutes later, Daryl's heart stopped beating completely. “Daryl? Are you here?”

 

Gathering all his nerve, he walked out of the storeroom and to the front.

 

“Hey, Gabby. How ya doing?” He looked at her briefly, long enough to notice how pretty she was, then averted his eyes.

 

“I'm doing good. Haven't seen ya in a couple of days; everything okay?”

 

“Everything’s fine,” he replied. “Merle's been a dick and I've been busy trying to keep his ass in line.”

 

She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Anytime you need to get away from him for awhile, come over to my place. We can watch a movie and you can keep me safe from all those murderers running around.”

 

He looked at her again. She gave him a comforting smile that caused him to smile back. “I'll keep that in mind. Why don't we take a look at paint colors. You can pick out what you want and I'll hold it till Saturday. I got the catalog under the register and we can look at that after.”

 

Gabby agreed and followed Daryl to the paint section. It was hard for her to choose a color for the bedroom, but eventually she settled on seafoam; a color she loved but had always been told it was more for bathrooms than bedrooms. She picked a light shade of beige for the exterior of the house and was thinking of black for the shutters but would wait until she saw them to make that decision.

 

Daryl took all the cans that he would need and put them in a special place in the storeroom with a note that had his name on it, then they went back to the front of the store so she could look at the catalog.

 

They hovered over the enormous book as Daryl showed her what was popular, what was cheap, and what he thought would look good on the house.

 

After she made her decision, Gabby announced she was leaving. “I'm going shopping with Barb and Laura. I think I lost something in the laundry and I want to replace it. You didn't find anything at your house, did you?”

 

Daryl gulped so loudly it almost startled him. “Uh, no. What was it?”

 

Gabrielle wasn't about to announce that she may have left a pair of her panties at his house. “Nothing that isn't replaceable.” As she turned to leave, she turned back around. “If Merle gets on your nerves tonight, come over. I won't mind.”

 

Daryl was fully embarrassed now and could only respond with a nod.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl was quiet on the the way home; he couldn’t focus on the road and almost rear ended a Civic. “What the fuck is wrong with you boy?” Merle yelled.

 

“I’m just tired, Merle. Haven’t been sleeping good lately.”

 

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with out new neighbor, would it?” Merle said, grinning.

 

Daryl didn’t say a word, which gave Merle his answer. “I knew it! You can’t stop thinking about her, little brother. She’s a fine little piece, you better jump on that.”

 

He wasn’t about to tell Merle about what had been left at the house, or what he had done about it. He felt guilty as fuck already and now he knew, that she knew, that little piece of purple lace was missing.

 

“She ain’t a piece, Merle. She’s nice; treats your ass better than you deserve. You know you like her too.”

 

“I do like her; seems like one hell of a woman, but I’m not the one who wants to sniff her panties.”

 

Daryl almost ran off the road. “What the fuck, Merle! Why the hell you say shit like that?”

 

“I’m just fucking with ya, baby bro. Can’t you take a joke?”

 

“That’s not a joke, asshole.” Daryl finally pulled into the driveway and Merle jumped out and through the door in a flash. As Daryl walked up the steps, he turned to look at Gabrielle’s house. He thought about her offer and wanted to take her up on it; he knew Merle would be impossible to be around tonight, but going to Gabrielle's house would probably make things more difficult in the long run.

 

Merle was already in the shower when Daryl walked in the door. He stopped at the refrigerator to get himself a bottle of Cok before going to his bedroom to change clothes. The purple nightmare was sitting on top of the pile of clothes he had washed that morning and he treated them like they were the plague.

 

Daryl pulled a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from his dresser drawer and put them on as fast as he could. He didn't want to linger near temptation.

 

Merle was stepping out of the bathroom as Daryl was leaving his room. “Cover your junk, Merle. I don't need to see your shit.”

 

“Don't be jealous, bro. You'll come into your own when you grow up,” Merle snickered.

 

“You can't keep your mouth shut, can you? All you know how to do is throw insults at people and make fun of ‘em.”

 

Merle went into his room and yelled at Daryl through the door. “Stop being a pussy and start fixing dinner. I'm starving.”

 

“Fix your own damn dinner!” Daryl shouted. Storming into the kitchen, he took the single burner and headed straight to the door. As Merle came into the living room, the first thing he saw was the front door slamming shut.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabrielle was putting away the new bras and panties she bought when someone knocked loudly on her door. Looking out her bedroom window, she saw Daryl standing on the porch with the burner in his hand. She had forgotten all about it, but was glad he remembered.

 

Daryl was startled when the door opened; he had been focused on getting away from Merle, but as he stood at her door, he became nervous.

 

“Hi, Daryl. I'm so glad you came over.” Gabrielle moved to let him come inside. “Thank you for bringing the burner. I forgot all about it.”

 

“I saw it sittin’ on the counter and figured you probably been needing it.”

 

“Well, thank you. How's your brother? He being an asshole again?”

 

“He don't stop being an asshole. It's as natural to him as breathing.”

 

“From what I understand, big brothers are supposed to be assholes. He's just doing his job.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “He oughta get paid he's so good at it. Hey, you eat dinner yet?”

 

“No,” Gabrielle answered. “I've been trying to decide what to fix.”

 

“You wanna go down to Morrison's with me and get us a couple of hot dogs?” He asked. He spoke so quickly he didn't realize what had come out of his mouth until he heard it.

 

“I would love to,” she said excitedly. “I haven't been there since I moved back. I love that place.”

 

“Alright then, grab your shit and let's go. I'm starving.”

 

Gabby grabbed her purse and keys, then she and Daryl headed out to her truck. She was excited to be going out with him, but wasn't sure if this could be considered a date or not.

 

There was a cool evening breeze blowing, so Gabby and Daryl rode with the windows down. “Nights like this, I like to take my bike out, ride up the mountain,” Daryl said.

 

“A bike? As in a motorcycle?” Gabby asked excitedly.

 

“Yeah, I keep it in the garage out back; haven't ridden in a while.”

 

“I have always wanted to ride a motorcycle,” Gabrielle told him. “I would love to see it sometime.”

 

“You're still coming over for stew Saturday, right?” Daryl asked.

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“Maybe we can take it out for a bit. I got an extra helmet and a jacket that might fit ya.”

 

“God, Daryl, I would love that! Thank you so much!”

 

“You will love it. There ain't nothing in the world like it. Makes ya feel free, like your flying.”

 

Gabby could imagine it. Sitting behind him with her arms around his waist, her hair blowing around her, and the vibration of the engine coursing through her body.

 

Pulling into Morrison's she parked near the front so they could easily be seen. A car hop was at her window in less than a minute and they put their order in.

 

While they were waiting, she turned the CD player on and Stevie Nicks voice echoed through the cab.

 

“I love Fleetwood Mac,” Daryl said. 

 

“Me too,” she replied. “I've got more in the glove box if you wanna take a look.”

 

Daryl opened the compartment in front of him and pulled out a giant leather CD holder. Flipping through, he saw all his favorites.

 

“You've got great taste in music,” he told her. “I have a lot of these in my truck or at the house.”

 

As they waited for their food, they looked through the CD’s together; remarking on their favorites and special memories they evoked.

 

When their food arrived, they ate in relative silence, neither having the opportunity to speak because they were too busy stuffing their faces. When Daryl started his second hot dog, his cell phone rang.

 

He didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway. “Hello, I’m trying to reach Daryl Dixon.”

 

“This is Daryl; who is this?”

 

“This is officer Dan White of the Logan County police department. I’m calling to let you know we’ve arrested your brother, a Mr. Merle Dixon.”

 

He had left Merle home alone, and sober. What the fuck could he have done? “What are the charges?”

 

“Driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license. We have him in a cell and he’s about to see the night court judge. You can come pay his bail, but he won’t be released until morning. We have to wait until he’s sober.”

 

“Goddamn it!” Daryl exclaimed loudly. “When can I come pay his bail?”

 

“Bail should be set within the hour. You can call back and find out how much. You can pay tonight or wait until morning.”

 

“What was he driving?” Daryl asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

 

“A 1974 Ford pickup, grey.”

 

“Where is it now?” 

 

“Impound lot; you’ll have to talk to them to see how much it’s gonna take to get it out.”

 

“Alright, thank you, officer.” Daryl hung up his phone and laid it on the dashboard. 

 

Embarrassed and angry, Daryl looked at Gabby. “Merle got his ass thrown in jail, and my fucking truck impounded.”

 

“What are you gonna do?” she asked.

 

“I’m gonna finish my damn hot dog, then I need to go back to the house. I got some emergency cash for shit like this. You’ll need to drive me down to the station to bail his ass out, if you don’t mind?”

 

Gabby didn’t mind at all. She knew Daryl was pissed and embarrassed, so she didn’t say anything more. When they were finished eating, she threw their trash in the can next to her car and headed back to Daryl’s house.


	7. In the Clink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl bails Merle out of jail and later has a confrontation with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank everyone for reading and commenting.

Chapter Seven- In the Clink

 

Daryl darted out of the truck and into the house as quickly as he could. It wasn't that he was in a hurry to bail Merle's drunk ass out of jail, but that he was angry as fuck that Merle ruined his night. 

 

Once he was back in the truck, Gabrielle pulled out of the driveway and back onto the road. She knew Daryl was upset, and she wanted to help him calm down, but didn't know what to do. She was afraid anything she did would piss him off even more.

 

Officer Doug Stevens was at the front desk when Daryl and Gabby walked into the station. “Hey,D. Sorry you had to come out.”

 

“Ain't your fault, Doug. You know Merle. He does this shit just to fuck up my night,” Daryl said, forgetting that Gabby was standing next to him.

 

The officer looked at her and smiled. From the way the lawman looked at Daryl, she assumed he'd never seen him with a woman before.

 

“Alright then, bail was set at ten thousand dollars. Your part of that is one thousand. Just go down the hall to your left and Sandy will process ya. We ain't gonna release him till morning to make sure he's sober.”

 

“I appreciate that,” Daryl said and took ten dollars from his wallet. “Can you make sure Merle gets this? It's so he can get a cab home; I ain't coming back here to pick his ass up.”

 

Sandy offered to let Daryl see Merle, even though he was sleeping, but Daryl was still too pissed off. Daryl felt he would be ecstatically happy if he never set eyes on that piece of shit again.

 

The ride home was quiet. Daryl seemed to relax a little and Gabby could feel a lot of the tension and anger float out the window the closer they got to home. When she pulled the truck in front of her house,Daryl unhooked his belt and buried his face in his hands. 

 

“It wasn't supposed to be like this. I'm sorry Merle fucked everything up.”

 

Gabby sighed. “You don't have to be sorry for anything. You didn't pour alcohol down your brother's throat and give him the keys to your truck. He made the decision to do that. You are not to blame for any of this.”

 

Daryl really needed to feel one of her warm hugs, but instead, he shyly glanced at her. “You’re an amazing woman, Gabrielle.”

 

“I am not,” she replied.

 

Daryl turned in his seat to face her. “You are; the only time people look at me, or Merle is when they need something from us. You’ve never asked one thing from me and here you bought me dinner and drove me to the damn police station to bail out my delinquent brother.” He shook his head and laughed. “I hate asking you to take me to the impound lot to pick up my truck.”

 

“I’ll do it; you don’t even have to ask.”

 

“That’s what I’m talking about. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. I’m no moocher.”

 

“Daryl, you helped me move in, fixed a hole in my wall, and you’re going to paint my house and put up shutters. If you feel you need to do more, then after we pick up your truck you can buy me breakfast.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “You’re right, but I would like to buy you breakfast, now that you mention it.” Daryl contemplated leaning across the gear shift and kissing her, but was too scared. “Why don’t you come over to the house. We can have a beer if Merle left us any; I know where he keeps it hidden.”

 

“Sure, why not. I’m wide awake now; I would love to spend my insomnia with you.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

The house was dark as they entered and Gabrielle stumbled over her feet and into Daryl. “Shit, I'm sorry.”

 

Daryl held onto her shoulders to steady her and flipped on the light switch. “It's okay; nobody's hurt. Why don't you go sit on the couch and I’ll see if there's any beer left.”

 

Gabby followed his instructions and as she sat down, had a flashback to the last time she was on his couch.

 

“Merle drank all the damn beer, but I found a half empty bottle of Jack if you're interested,” Daryl said as he came into the room.

 

“It'll do,” Gabby answered and scooted over so Daryl could sit next to her.“Last time I was drunk was the night before my best friend's wedding fifteen years ago.

 

“You oughta take it slow then,” Daryl said as he poured her glass half full.

 

“I'm also Irish, so keep pouring.” Daryl laughed and poured enough to fill her glass.

 

He took the remote off the coffee table and turned the TV on. Flipping through the channels, he found something he was sure Gabby would like. “Have you seen any of the Saw movies?”

 

“I've seen two or three of them, but I don't remember which ones.”

 

“You don't mind if we watch this one, right? I mean, you don't get scared.”

 

Gabby turned bright red thinking about the other night when she had gotten so startled she fell out of her chair. “I may get startled, but I don't get scared. There's a difference.”

 

“Of course there is,” Daryl said and leaned back against the cushions. “Just remember, I'm right here if you get startled.”

 

Turning to look at him, she smirked and patted his knee. “I’m here for you too, sweetheart.”

 

They laughed together and it made Daryl feel wonderful. He forgot about his brother who was sleeping in a jail cell, and focused on the funny, beautiful woman sitting so close he could smell the soap on her skin.

 

Gabby was obviously tense during certain parts of the movie; Daryl noticed every time she jumped, or turned away, and as she scooted closer to him with each movement, the heat from her body warmed him.

 

By the time they had made their way through a glass and a half of whiskey each, both Gabby and Daryl were very much relaxed. She was leaning back against his chest and he had his left arm wrapped around her upper chest; neither realizing what they were doing.

 

It was close to one o’clock when the credits rolled and Gabby had dozed off in his arms. Daryl continued to hold her; he considered staying on the couch with her and spending the entire night with his arms wrapped around her.

 

Pushing her hair to the side, he laid his forehead on her shoulder and took a shuddering breath. He felt like a creep holding her like this when she was asleep; he knew he should wake her and take her to his bedroom so she could get a proper rest, but he didn’t want to let go of her. 

 

He sat there with his arm around her until she began to stir. “I missed the end of the movie. Why didn’t you wake me up? Sitting like this must have been uncomfortable for you,” she said as she sat up, breaking the physical connection he had with her.

 

“Not uncomfortable. Didn’t want to wake you; you seemed to need the rest.”

 

“I should be getting back home; let you get to bed,” she said as she stood up.

 

“You should stay here,” he told her as he took her hand to keep her from walking away. “I know it’s just across the road, but it’s one thirty in the morning and we don’t have a street light down this far. You can sleep in my room and I’ll take the couch.”

 

“I can’t let you sleep on the couch in your own house,” she told him. 

 

“It’s my house, my decision. Just humor me, please.”

 

“Okay, I don’t think I could make it across the street without falling out on the ground and falling asleep anyway.”

 

Daryl stood and led her to his bedroom; as he opened the door he remembered the pile of clothes on his bed. Pushing in front of her he scooped them in his arms and threw them into the basket in his closet. 

 

Before he turned around, he froze in fear when he heard Gabrielle gasp. “You found them!”

 

Daryl groaned internally. “Found what?”

 

“My underwear. Remember I told you earlier I lost them while I was doing laundry. I must have left them in the dryer.”

 

Daryl slowly turned around and saw the purple devil hanging from her fingers. “Must have. I did this load this morning and pulled them out of the dryer before I went to work; just piled them on the bed and left.”

 

Daryl’s nerves were so frayed, he was afraid he would give himself away. “Well, ya got ‘em back now. I got t-shirts in the top drawer if ya want something to sleep in. I’ll see ya in the morning.”

 

He was out the door in a flash and crashed on the couch in his clothes. Just the fact that she knew they had been in his house this whole time was nerve wracking enough but she was going to be taking them home with her, and he would lose the only thing he had of her.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

The next morning, Daryl woke up a little before seven. His back was killing him; not from sleeping on the couch, but from sleeping in the same position for five and a half hours. When he was able to sit up, he noticed his bedroom door was still closed.

 

He would let her sleep as long as she could; he didn’t think he could face her right now,so he took his cell phone from the coffee table and called his boss to let him know that he would be late coming in. 

 

Mr. Baisden was very understanding; he was aware of the situation with Merle and always gave Daryl the time he needed to deal with his brother and the aftermath of whatever he had done. He told Daryl not to worry about it; it had been a long time since he had been in the store and said he would cover for him.

 

Daryl then put on a pot of coffee and went to take a shower. He glanced at his bedroom door as he passed through the hallway and sighed.

 

He had been thinking about what would happen when he got out of the shower and Gabby was still sleeping in his room, so as he stepped out of the bathroom, he was surprised to see her stepping out of his bedroom.

 

She had chosen his Cheap Trick concert t-shirt to sleep in and he liked the way she looked in it. She jumped slightly when she turned to see him wet, dripping and in his towel.

 

“Mornin’” he said awkwardly. “You, uh, sleep good?”

 

“Yeah, I did. Your bed is very comfortable; almost as good as mine.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “Listen, I’m gonna get dressed; you take a shower or whatever you want to do, then come and have some coffee. We can leave for the impound lot after that.”

 

“Ahhh, coffee. Thank you; I’m about a quart low,” she said as she put her hand on his bare chest passed in front of him into the bathroom. Daryl just stood there for a moment; the heat from her touch seeped into his skin and made him feel warm all over. 

 

After he was dressed, he poured a cup of coffee and sat looking out the front window. Gabrielle was still in the shower when a cab pulled into the driveway. Daryl watched Merle get out and walk up the steps.

 

“It is good to be home baby brother!” Merle yelled as he burst through the front door. “And you got hot coffee waiting for me. You missed ole Merle didn’t ya.”

 

Daryl got up from the chair and followed his brother into the kitchen. “Coffee ain’t for you, fucker. You want some? Go down the street and buy it like any other adult.”

 

“What’s up your ass boy?” Merle said angrily.

 

“You got wasted, ended up in jail and got my truck impounded! That’s what’s fucking wrong with me!”

 

“Calm down, little brother. I’ll take care of your truck, just let me take a piss and I’ll find out how much to get it out.”

 

“You gotta piss, you piss outside. And I already know how much to get the truck back. I’m heading there in a bit.”

 

Merle got in Daryl’s face. “You don’t talk to me like that, boy. I’ll kick your ass.”

“Gabby’s still in the shower, you dumb fuck. Can’t you hear the water running?”

 

Merle stepped back and grinned like the cheshire cat. “So your night wasn’t all bad, huh? Congratulations on getting laid, baby bro.”

 

Just then they heard the shower turn off and Gabby come out of the bathroom moments later. “Don’t you say something stupid, Merle. I will beat your ass.”

 

Gabby looked around the corner into the living room and saw Daryl and his brother talking. “Hey Gabby, funny seeing you here.”

 

Gabrielle looked from Merle to Daryl to gage the atmosphere of the room. Daryl looked exasperated by whatever was going on with his brother, so Gabby quietly said hello to Merle and went into Daryl’s room to get dressed.

 

Merle turned back to his brother. “She ain’t even walking funny, Daryl. I’m gonna have to give you some lessons.”

 

Daryl did not hesitate to knock his brother the fuck out; he heard the crunch of bone as his fist made contact with Merle’s nose. When his brother fell, he crashed into a lamp sitting on the side table.

 

The sound had Gabrielle running into the living room while pulling her shirt over her head. “What the fuck is this, Daryl?”

 

“You ready to go?” he asked, ignoring her question. 

 

“Yeah,” she answered. “What the fuck just happened?”

 

“He said something stupid,” Daryl replied as he locked the front door behind them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets his truck back and Gabby has words with Merle.

Chapter Eight

 

“Are you going to tell me what happened back there?” Gabrielle asked as Daryl silently stewed in the seat next to her.

 

“You don't want to know, trust me,” Daryl answered.

 

“Whatever it was, it was enough to assault your brother over. Listen, I understand that you may want to protect my gentle, feminine sensibilities, but don’t. I’m no snow white angel; I’ve been around the block a few times and heard a lot of shit. Just tell me.”

 

“He thinks we fucked last night,” Daryl said with a heavy breath. “He implied that since you weren’t bow legged, I couldn’t satisfy you.”

 

“Well then, he deserved it. He’s an asshole for saying that to you; it was unwarranted, and I’m sure not true at all.”

 

Daryl’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Had she thought about it? Had she thought about what having sex with him would be like? Surely not, he convinced himself; she was a beautiful woman and a great friend, but had never indicated that she felt anything more that friendship and gratitude toward him.

 

“Thank you, but I didn’t hit him because of what he said about me. You ain’t no slut, I’m sure of that; you’re not like that, you’re a good woman.”

 

Gabrielle smiled. “Good women like sex too, ya know. Any woman would be lucky to have you, for a lot of reasons. I feel lucky just being your friend and neighbor.”

 

Daryl blushed and turned his face away from her. As much as he loved hearing her say that, he hated it as well. It proved to him that things would never progress from where they were.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Parking the truck by the door of the impound lot, they got out and went inside. While Daryl paid the fee, one of the workers pulled his truck around front and left it next to Gabby’s.

 

Daryl inspected his truck from top to bottom, front to back. There was no damage, thank god; if there had been he would have had no mercy on Merle.

 

“Everything looks okay,” he told Gabby. He was feeling incredibly anxious about Merle, Gabby, and the truck, but tried not to let it show. He still wanted to buy her breakfast and had to get through that without embarrassing himself; then he would head straight for the hardware store to get his mind off it.

 

“I’m so glad to hear that. I would have hated if Merle damaged it. He’s such an ass,” Gabby said as she went to get into her truck.

 

“I think I told you that when we first met, but you chose to ignore me,” Daryl joked. He was surprised he could joke about his brother, but regardless of the situation he was in, being with Gabrielle helped him relax.

 

She followed him to the Parkway Diner across from the State Park. She had eaten there often enough when her family had been on vacation a few times, but it had been years. They had remodeled quite extensively and the place looked larger and more tourist friendly than it had when she was a teenager.

 

They took a table in the back by the stairs and Gabby looked over the menu. She remembered that she had always loved the sausage biscuits and home fries so she ordered that along with a couple eggs over easy and coffee. Daryl didn’t even look at the menu and requested Gabby’s order verbatim. 

 

“Hopefully this is over now and you and your brother can get things back to normal,” she said as the waitress poured their coffee.

 

“Nobody’s ever accused Merle of being normal, but yeah, I hope so. I hate fighting with him; he don’t fight fair and the only way I can win is to knock him out. His old ass ain’t as fast as it used to be.”

 

“I’ve been thinking, and I don’t want to upset you or piss you off, but have you thought about calling Barb? She’s a substance abuse counselor, ya know. She could help him.”

 

Darl had thought about it; he should have said something to her when she was in the store the other day, but he was afraid of losing Merle again.

 

“He does need help and I can’t do this by myself anymore. I swear if he doesn’t quit this shit I’m gonna hafta tell him to leave. I’ll call her; he’s my brother and I’ll do it. I don’t even know where to start with this so I’ll just do it.”

 

Gabby gave him a very sincere, yet sorrowful smile. She knew that was going through his head; he desperately wanted Merle to get better and have his brother back, but he was afraid of losing him for good.

 

“Would you rather talk to her in person? We can go to her house tonight, or whenever you’re ready. I’ll go with you and we can do it together. I got your back, Daryl; you have all my support.”

 

Daryl was about to reach out and take her hand over the table when the waitress appeared. The moment vanished as they ate their breakfast. 

 

Daryl thought about his brother; he would have hell to pay for hitting him, but suggesting rehab could push Merle over the edge. He was grateful for both Gabrielle and Barb and hoped that Merle would be more apt to accept the help he needed if they were the ones offering.

 

He continued to be astonished by Gabrielle; the things she said and did, the compassion she had for Merle and himself, and the ease with which she dealt with them both. He wouldn’t deny that he had feelings for her, he wasn’t stupid. 

 

Daryl did regret that Merle knew. After what he had done last night and said he worried about what would happen next time his brother and Gabrielle were in the same room together.

 

When their plates were clean and Daryl paid the bill, he and Gabrielle went out to their vehicles. “Uh, I’m gonna bring that paint home tonight. Would it be okay if I dropped it off at your place when I get home?”

 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Gabrielle said and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Remember,” she whispered in his ear, “ignore whatever he says. He doesn’t know me like you do, and he obviously doesn’t know much about you either.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

When Gabrielle parked in front of her home, she sat in her truck for ten minutes staring at the house across the street. She assumed Merle was in there somewhere, possibly sleeping, but it didn’t matter what he was doing, she was going to find out why he did what he did.

 

She pounded on the door and screamed his name for the whole street to hear. “Merle Dixon! Open this fucking door now!” Gabby pounded her fist until it hurt, but she wasn’t going to stop until she found out why he was acting the way he was.

 

When the door flew open, Gabrielle fell forward with momentum and landed against Merle’s chest. “What the hell are you doing here, princess?”

 

Straightening herself up, she took a step away from Merle. “I’m here to talk to you, Merle; about what you did last night and whatever you said to Daryl this morning.”

 

Merle sighed and walked back into the house. Gabby followed, hot on his heels. “Merle, get your ass back here. I ain’t afraid of you.”

 

“I suspect you ain’t, honey,” he replied as he sat in his recliner. “Whatever’s up Daryl’s ass will work it’s way out in a day or two.”

 

“I just wanna know why, Merle? Why would you do that to him?”

 

Merle stared at the television. “I don’t know why I do the things I do. I just do shit without thinking, I guess.”

 

“You need to be thinking about your brother and how it affects him. He’s not just pissed at you, he’s disappointed; not just about bailing you out and having his truck impounded either, but about what you said about me.”

 

“He told you about that, did he? Boy can’t never keep shit to himself.”

 

“I asked him to tell me; he didn’t want to, but I wanted to know why he was so upset. You know why I wanted to know? Because I care about him and he’s a good man; I haven’t known y’all long, but I know he’s a good man and deserves respect. Especially the respect of his own brother.”

 

“Big brother’s supposed to harass the little brother, that’s what makes the world go ‘round, sweetheart.”

 

“You’re not little kids anymore! He grew up; he takes care of you, or at least tries to when you’re not self destructing all over him. Why did you say what you did? About him and me; what did you have to gain from that?”

 

Merle didn’t say a word. He sat in his recliner stoic and silent. “You know he likes you, a lot. That’s not bullshit kidding around. He won’t talk about it, and he won’t admit it, but he does.

 

You have no idea what you’ve done to that boy. He’s always been the sweet one; willing to help others and not ask for anything in return except hope for some attention. You're the first woman to give him that and he don’t know what to do with it. I’m just trying to push him along.”

 

“He doesn’t need to be pushed into anything. He deserves to be treated like an adult, like a human being and that’s what I’m doing. It’s not my fault no one else has ever thought he was worthy of that, especially his brother.”

 

Gabrielle moved to leave and Merle grabbed her by the arm. “My baby brother cares about you and I know y’all ain’t slept together last night because he wouldn’t do that no matter how much he wants ya. He’d do anything for you and if you don’t feel the same way about him then you better back away. I may not be the best brother in the world, but I love him and if you don’t, you better leave him alone.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl dashed into the store and ran to the back to clock in, ignoring Mr. Baisden completely. 

 

“Sorry it took so long. We didn’t get to leave the house as early as I wanted; Merle came home and started shit,” Daryl said from the back of the store, still half-pissed about the whole thing.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Daryl. We’ve only had a few people come in. Nothing I can’t handle.”

 

“I know, but that don’t excuse it. It’s been a weird morning.

 

“You want to talk about it?” Mr. Baisden asked.

 

“I wouldn't know where to start, or what to say,” Daryl said as he slid in behind the counter. “Merle just can't keep his mouth shut. He wants me to be miserable; it's what he lives for.”

 

“Big brothers are like that. Mine made my life hell well after I was married with kids.”

 

“It's not just what he says about me though,” Daryl paused and thought about what he would say next. “You remember I told ya about my new neighbor, Gabrielle.”

 

Mr. Baisden nodded his head and got comfortable on the stool in the corner.

 

“After we got back from bailing Merle out last night, we watched a movie at my house and she ended up spending the night. I gave her my room and I slept on the couch,” he added so there would be no confusion.

 

“Merle got home this morning while she was in the shower and made a rude comment about it; assuming we'd done something, ya know?”

 

“And that bothered you?” Mr. Baisden asked.

 

“Hell yeah, it bothered me. He suggested that I wasn't able to, ya know, make her, ya know. She’s not like that; she’s a respectable woman. So, I knocked him out. Gabby heard it and rushed out.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“Nothing, I got us out of there before Merle could say anything to her. She kept asking about it though.”

 

“Did you tell her or throw her some bullshit?” The boss asked.

 

“I told her; didn't want to, but she made me.”

 

“And …?”

 

Daryl grinned as he answered. “She said she didn't believe it and Merle had no right to say that.”

 

“So, you gonna prove Merle wrong?”

 

“I'd love to,” Daryl answered, a grin still plastered to his face, “but I don’t think she feels that way about me. She’s a good friend, is all.”

 

“Well,” Mr. Baisden said and stood. “Whether y’all are just friends or not, I’d recommend that you hold on to her. She seems like a keeper.”


	9. Dinner and a Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl reflects on the last twenty-four hours.

Chapter Nine- Dinner and a Movie

 

Daryl loaded the paint in the bed of his truck before he closed the hardware store for the night. The sun was still high in the sky but would begin its descent soon and he wanted to get to Gabby’s house before it got too dark. 

 

He didn’t know if Merle had gone to work, and he didn’t give a shit. He was hoping to spend some time with his neighbor at her house and whether Merle was deep in the mine or passed out drunk on the couch it wasn’t going to dampen his hopes for the night.

 

He called her as he started the truck and pulled out onto the road to let her know he was on his way. She was fixing dinner, spaghetti and meatballs, and told him it should be ready by the time he got there.

 

When he pulled to a stop in front of Gabrielle’s house, he briefly looked over at his own home. There were no lights shining inside, but that didn’t indicate whether or not his brother was there. If he was, he was probably passed out in the dark and Daryl didn’t feel bad about it.

 

He unloaded the cans of paint onto the back porch then knocked on the sliding glass door. Gabrielle was wearing a flowery half apron and holding a red stained spatula.

 

“Thank you so much for bringing the paint. I really appreciate it.”

 

“No problem,” Daryl said as he came in and took off his jacket. “I’d rather bring it now that go in tomorrow when I don’t have to. Dinner smells good.”

 

“Thanks. The garlic bread is still in the oven, but everything else is ready to plate up if you want to grab a dish and help yourself.”

 

Daryl maneuvered his way around her and her small kitchen to grab a dish and loaded it up with a mountain of spaghetti and enough meatballs and sauce to hide it all. Taking a beer from the fridge, he sat at the table and waited patiently for Gabby to join him.

 

When the timer on the toaster oven went off, she put the bread in a bowl and sat it in the center of the table then brought her own dish and drink. 

 

“I hope you ended up having a halfway decent day,” she asked as she rolled the spaghetti onto her fork.

 

“Yeah, it was fine. I was able to forget about Merle for the most part, but I’m still pissed off.”

 

“You have every right to be, but don’t let it control you. Both of you need to take time away from each other and calm down. Everything’s been taken care of and your truck is is good shape.”

 

“It gets harder to forgive and forget every time. I should be used to it and part of me expects it, but I just don’t have hope for him like I used to. I used to believe him when he said he was gonna change, but I ain’t that stupid anymore.”

 

“You aren’t stupid, never were. When you love someone, you want to believe everything they tell you. I know how it feels to hear someone say something and you know it’s not true no matter how many times they tell you it is.”

 

“I don’t want to talk about that asshole anymore.” Daryl said with a heavy sigh. “What did you do today?”

 

“Nothing much. I mopped the floors and cleaned the tub. Mostly I just watched tv. Being unemployed gives you a lot of free time.”

 

“Still haven’t heard from anybody?” He asked.

 

“Nope. I’m gonna lower my standards. I thought it would be easy to find office work, but I guess that’s what everybody else in this damn town does for a living.”

 

“You’ll find something soon,” he encouraged her. “Maybe I can help. Other than office work, what have you done?”

 

“I was a pharmacy technician for a few years and of course there’s the worthless Bachelor's Degree in English and History.”

 

“You ever been a teacher? Could you do that?”

 

“I don’t have any experience teaching and I never took any Education classes in college. I don’t know what the state requirements are.”

 

“You can find out. In the meantime, I can ask around, see if anybody needs somebody part-time.”

 

“Thank you, Daryl. That would mean a lot to me.”

 

“It’s no big deal. You’ve been a real good friend and friends do for each other, right?”

 

“Right,” she replied. They finished dinner and Daryl helped her clean up and load the dishwasher.

 

“Have you seen Merle today? Do you know if he’s over there or is he gone”

 

Gabby felt it would be better if Daryl didn’t know that she had confronted his brother. She didn’t know if Merle would keep the information to himself, but now wasn’t the time to bring it up.

 

“I haven’t seen him leave, but I haven’t been paying attention either. Can’t say I care.”

 

“Can’t say I care either. If he is there I hope he’s passed out and if he’s not I hope he knows enough not to say anything to me. Can’t deal with his shit right now.”

 

“You can stay here as long as you want. Hell, you can spend the night. I owe you for letting me stay at your house last night.”

 

“You don’t owe me anything, but thank you. I should check on him though; he could be dead over there for all I know.”

 

“Don’t say things like that. If you want to go check on him, do it. Don’t feel bad for caring about your brother.”

 

Daryl sighed. “I ain’t gonna do it right now. Just don’t want to think about him.”

 

“Then watch a movie with me. You can go home afterward. If you don’t want to stay there, come back and you can have my couch.”

 

“It’s a deal. We can watch something scary if you want,” he said with a smirk. 

 

“I think I want to try a different genre tonight. Maybe comedy or action?” She brought her laptop in from her bedroom and set it up on the coffee table. “Look through Netflix or Amazon and find something. I’m not picky.”

 

Gabrielle left the room to go to the bathroom and change clothes. When she returned, Daryl had Shawn of the Dead ready to go. “Do you want some popcorn? I got some at the store the other day and completely forgot.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good. I think I’ll go out and smoke a cigarette while its popping.”

 

Gabby went into the kitchen while Daryl went out to the back porch. He sat in one of the chairs and lit his smoke. He could see Gabby walking around in the kitchen. She had changed into a pair of sleep shorts, a pink lace tank shirt and had apparently forgotten her bra in the process.

 

As much as he enjoyed looking at her, he just couldn’t at that moment. He could have easily chalked it up to a mixed signals situation, but signals didn’t matter. Even if she was trying to get his attention he would never hit on her. He liked her too much to risk something like that.

 

She beat him back into the living room and by the time he got there there was a large bowl of popcorn and two bottles of coke sitting next to the laptop on the coffee table. 

 

“I thought coke would be a better choice. I drank too much whiskey last night; can’t do that two nights in a row anymore.”

 

“That’s fine,” Daryl told her. “If I’m gonna go back to the house after this, it’s probably best I’m stone cold sober.”

 

Gabby started the movie and she and Daryl relaxed onto the couch with the bowl of popcorn between them. Daryl liked the movie and enjoyed spending this time with Gabrielle; he began to unwind and focused on the movie and the popcorn.

 

When the credits rolled, Gabby turned off the laptop and took the bowl into the kitchen. Daryl stood and stretched, then walked to the front window and looked across at his own house.

 

“I’m gonna run home and check on Merle. Is it still okay if I stay here tonight? I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

 

“Of course it’s still okay. You need a break; you need to let Merle take care of himself for a while. I’ll call Barb tomorrow and we’ll see what we can do for him.”

 

As he stood at the front door, she walked to him and put her arms around his neck. “I hate that he does this shit. You deserve better, but he deserves the love and compassion of his family. Keep giving him that and maybe he’ll come to his senses.”

 

Daryl rested his hands on Gabby’s waist and resisted the temptation to brush his fingertips against her skin. Her eyes held so much empathy and kindness; he had never been this grateful for another person in his entire life.

 

“I don’t think I have a choice. Taking care of him is a habit,” he said and smiled. 

 

Gabrielle closed the door, but didn’t walk away as Daryl went across the street and slipped inside the house. She hoped that Merle was asleep or passed out. She didn’t want Daryl to know the things his brother had told her. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl carefully unlocked the front door, grateful that Merle had remembered to lock it in the first place, and stepped into the darkness. He flipped the lightswitch and went to the refrigerator to assess the damage. He cringed when he saw that Merle not only had drunk every drop of alcohol in the place, but eaten every crumb of food.

 

Looking around, he didn’t see his brother anywhere. Not in the kitchen or the living room and he it was so quiet he could barely hear his own breath.

 

As he turned the corner into the hallway, he ambled to the door of Merle’s bedroom and wrapped his hand around the knob. Turning it slowly, he peered inside and saw his brother asleep on his bed; the man’s chest barely moving up and down.

 

Satisfied that Merle was alive, Daryl went to his own room and threw some clothes in a bag, then went to the bathroom to get his toothbrush. He walked back through the house not looking at Merle’s door again and went back across the street.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabby opened the door as soon as he stepped onto the porch. “Is he okay?” she asked.

 

“Sleeping it off in his room. Thought he was dead at first, but he’s still alive. I just let him sleep.”

 

“Alright. I got the couch set up for ya. I’m sorry I don’t have a real bed for you to sleep in, but I didn’t think I’d be having guests.”

 

“The couch is fine. I slept on one last night too. It won’t hurt me none.” Daryl sat his bag on the floor and sat down. 

 

“Alright then; you know where the bathroom is. If you want to take a shower, towels are in the closet. Make yourself at home; help yourself to anything in the kitchen. If you need anything or can’t find something you can wake me up; I won’t mind. I don’t sleep well, so I’ll probably be awake.”

 

Gabrielle sat her hand on Daryl’s shoulder and rose on her tiptoes to rest her lips on his forehead. 

 

“Goodnight, Daryl. Sleep well.”

 

Daryl watched as she turned away from him and walked toward her bedroom. He was sure he wouldn’t be sleeping well either.


	10. Overnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Gabby spend some quality time together.

Chapter Ten-Overnight

 

Gabrielle was right; she couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t unusual; her mind was always busy. She was always thinking about something and tonight she was thinking about the man sleeping on her couch.

 

She was proud of herself for having remained calm during the evening; Daryl had a tendency to make her heart beat faster which, in turn, made her a blubbering mess. She had been able to keep her wits about her so far; Daryl hadn’t mentioned any strange behavior on her part, so she felt she was safe.

 

Gabby remembered what it had felt like the night before, relaxed on Daryl’s couch, his arms around her. She had dozed off at one point, but was aware when the movie ended. She remembered feeling Daryl’s body shutter as he rested his head against her shoulder and wondered if they meant anything.

 

Realizing that her eyes weren’t going to close anytime soon, she got out of bed and quietly crept into the living room. Gabby leaned against the door frame and saw Daryl laying on the couch. The moonlight shone through the slats of the blinds of the front window and she saw the outline of his body.

 

One hand lay against his bare chest and the other above his head, which was turned to the side. She could see the rise and fall of his chest and smiled. He looked peaceful, and after the last twenty-four hours, she was glad he was able to reach a state where Merle was not in the back of his mind.

 

Inching her way into the room, she spotted Daryl’s cigarettes and lighter on the coffee table. She hadn’t had a cigarette in six months. After her divorce was final, she didn’t feel the need for nicotine, until now. Watching him smoke had been one thing. She had often been around others who smoked and was able to keep herself in check, but tonight had been different. 

 

It wasn’t that he smoked so much, she had grown accustomed to seeing a cigarette dangling from his lips; it was the fact that her emotions hadn’t been this confused since she realized her marriage was a lie. Smoking had become her coping mechanism. As quietly as she could, Gabby took a cigarette from the pack and the lighter and snuck out the back door.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

As soon as Gabby went into her room to sleep, Daryl took off his shirt and jeans and put on the pajama pants he had in his bag. He thought about taking a shower, but would probably end up jerking off, so he just changed clothes and lay down on the couch.

 

His mind wouldn’t shut off; he thought about Merle and the possibility of him going back to rehab. He thought about Gabby and how kind and understanding she was regarding the situation with his brother. 

 

He never imagined that he would have someone like her in his life. He had only ever been interested in fucking a woman, nothing more,and they had felt the same about him, but there had never been a connection between him and any of them like he had with Gabby.

 

Gabby was his friend. She supported him and made him laugh; she cooked for him and, in general, treated him better than any other person ever had. Why would he ruin something as perfect as that by trying to fuck her?

 

He had no idea what time it was or how long he had laid there before he heard her bedroom door open. His eyes were closed, but he sensed her presence and knew she was in the room. He remained as still as he could; not wanting to startle her in the darkness. 

 

Daryl heard her walk into the room and take his cigarettes and lighter, then walk off toward the back door. Once he heard the door close, he sat up and debated whether or not he should join her outside. Believing there would be no harm in it, and also having concern for her inability to sleep, he took the pack of cigarettes and followed her outside.

 

Gabby was startled by the sliding glass door and gasped in surprise when it opened and Daryl stepped out. “Oh God, Daryl. You scared the shit out of me.”

 

Daryl chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“I woke you up, didn’t I? I’m so sorry; I couldn’t sleep.”

 

“So you decided to steal a cigarette, right? I didn’t know you smoked.”

 

Gabby sighed. “I quit about six months ago, but seeing them laying there was too much of a temptation. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay; I don’t care one way or another, but why now? Six months is nothing to sneeze at.”

 

“I guess it’s just the stress of moving and not having a job yet. Bills are gonna come due soon.”

 

Daryl sat next to her at the table and lit a cigarette. In an act of friendship and concern, he put his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t need to think about that till it’s time. You’ve only lived here for a little over a week. Bills won’t be due for another few weeks; you’ll have a job by then.”

 

Gabrielle relaxed into Daryl’s embrace and against his side, laying her head on his shoulder. “I know you’re right, but I can’t help thinking about it. I’ve been in that position before. I’ve never been completely on my own and it scares me a little.”

 

He squeezed her tight. “You don’t have to be scared of anything. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve got money; you can have some if you need it. If you won’t take that, then you can always stay with me and Merle if ya need to; if your power or water get cut off, or something. But that ain’t gonna happen.”

 

Gabby sat up and looked at Daryl. “Thank you, but I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I can do this on my own. My husband didn’t think I could; that’s why he never thought I’d ever divorce him. I doubted it myself for a long time.”

 

“But ya did it, didn’t ya? You’re stronger than ya think ya are; I can see it.”

 

Daryl couldn’t help himself; he placed his hand on her cheek and caressed the skin with his thumb. They sat in silence for a few seconds before his nerves got the best of him.

 

“I best go back to sleep,” he said quietly. “Got a lot of work to do tomorrow and I don’t want to fall asleep and fall off the ladder.”

 

“Okay,” Gabby said. “I should try to sleep too so I can help if you need it.”

 

They stood together and walked back inside. Daryl went into the living room while Gabby locked the door. “Goodnight, Daryl. I hope you can go back to sleep.”

 

“You too,” he replied and watched her walk back to her room. He laid back on the couch and soon fell asleep, finally content with his day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Merle paint Gabby's house

Chapter Eleven

 

Daryl woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. He opened his eyes slowly and wondered how the hell Merle got his hungover ass out of bed before him until he realized that it wasn’t Merle fixing breakfast.

 

He laid on the couch for a few minutes before getting up. It was nice knowing that someone else was cooking and even nicer knowing who it was that was doing it. Daryl would have drown in domesticity if he hadn’t spent the night on the couch.

 

Finally, he lifted himself up and went into the bathroom to take a piss, then meandered into the kitchen.

 

“I love the smell of bacon and coffee in the morning. That’s the perfect way to wake up.”

 

Gabrielle was standing at the stove frying bacon and scrambling eggs. She turned around when she heard Daryl’s voice and smiled.

 

“I also have biscuits in the oven. Help yourself to coffee; I’ve got creamer in the fridge and sugar in the pantry.”

 

Daryl helped himself and took a cup from the cabinet. “Do you need me to do anything, or did I wake up too late to help?”

 

“Everything’s ready except for the biscuits; they only have about a minute left. Why don’t you get a couple of plates out and some silverware?”

 

Daryl did as he was asked and by the time the table was set, Gabby was filling his plate with eggs, bacon, and biscuits. They ate in relative silence, save for discussion of the plan for the day, until someone started banging on the front door.

 

Daryl stood and peeked out the kitchen window. “Goddamn Merle!” He looked over at Gabby apologetically, but she dismissed it.

 

“Just let him in. I’m gonna go put some real clothes on,” she said and left to go to her room.

 

Daryl grumbled and went to the front door. “Hold your goddamn horses,” he said as he unlocked and opened the door.

 

“Well, well, well. How did I know I’d find you here, little brother?” Merle said as he pushed his way passed Daryl and into the house.

 

“Please, Merle. Don’t start this shit again.”

 

Merle patted his brother on the back. “I ain’t gonna start anything. I figured when I woke up and you weren’t at home, this is where you might be. Thought maybe you got up early and came over, but now I’m thinking you spent the night.”

 

“I did, but nothing happened. I slept on the couch.”

 

“I see that. I’m not gonna accuse you or her of anything; it ain’t any of my business. No matter how much I think you should do something about how you feel.”

 

Daryl shushed his brother. “Don’t say that out loud. She’s in her room; she could hear you.”

 

Just then, Gabby came out of her room. “Good morning, Merle. How are you doing?”

 

“Doing just fine, Ms. Gabby. Just came by to help paint your house. Y’all are still doing that today, aren’t ya?”

 

“Yeah,” Daryl answered. He looked at Gabby. “Is it okay if I take a shower first?”

 

“Sure. I’ll get Merle some breakfast in the meantime.”

 

While Daryl took his bag and went to shower, Merle followed Gabby into the kitchen. “You know he went over to your house last night to check on you. He was worried.”

 

Merle sat down at the table and covered his face with his hands. “I don’t doubt it. Daryl’s always been the sweet one; he cares about everybody no matter how much they shit all over him.”

 

“You should be grateful that he does or else you might not have a roof over your head,” Gabby responded.

 

“I know that,” Merle said. “I need him a lot more than he needs me. I know I’m holding him back from having a life of his own. I promised him that I won’t make anymore asshole comments. He cares about you and I know what it’s like to love someone; I don’t want him to let that go, just because I’m an asshole.”

 

Gabrielle sat next to him and handed him a plate. “I didn’t tell him that you and I spoke yesterday. He don’t need to know about that. I don’t want him to think I’m sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

 

Merle hummed. “I won’t say a word.”

 

When Daryl came back into the kitchen, he was dressed and ready to start the day. “I’m gonna go ahead and get everything ready. You eat your food and them come out and help me.”

 

Gabby and Merle watched Daryl walk outside and sat in silence until Merle’s plate was clean. “I’m gonna go help Daryl. I promise I won’t say a word about anything, but I want you to know that he cares about you. I’ve never known him to care about anyone like he does you. Don’t string him along.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl already had the paint cans open and mixed, and the ladders out; one for him and one for Merle, when his brother finally made it outside. Without saying a word, Merle took a can and a brush and ascended one of the ladders.

 

“I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole,” he said, out of the blue. “I wish I wasn’t like that, but I don’t know how to be anything else.”

 

Daryl began bushing paint onto the siding, but paused to speak to his brother. “You’re the biggest asshole I’ve ever known, Merle. But that ain’t all you are. Ain’t nobody holding a gun to your head forcing you to say the things you say or do the things you do. That’s all on you and you can choose not to do or say those things.”

 

“I don’t know why I do the things I do; never have. Always had to be an asshole to keep you safe; guess I never got out of the habit.”

 

“Ain’t no damn habit, Merle. You do it to keep people away. You’ve done it ever since Frankie left because you didn’t want to get close to anyone after her. That ain’t on nobody but yourself. You ain’t gonna drag me down with you anymore.”

 

“I never meant to do that to ya. Just wanted to keep you safe. After all the shit that happened to you, I wasn’t about to let you get hurt again.”

 

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Merle; I do, but I’m a grown ass man. I don’t need you to take care of me anymore. I need you to take care of yourself.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

After Merle went outside, Gabrielle cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes. She needed to call her cousin, but didn’t know exactly what to tell her. She decided that dinner was a good place to start.

 

First, she would ask Merle and Daryl to stay for dinner that night, and if they agreed, she would call Barb and tell her what was going on and invite her over as well. Gabby would tell Daryl the plan, but neither of them could let Merle know, or he would bolt.

 

Gabby walked out onto the front porch and looked up at the work being done. “Looks good, y’all.”

 

Merle laughed. “Honey we’re just getting started. You can barely tell anything’s been done.”

 

“Don’t matter. It still looks good. Y’all interested in staying for dinner tonight?”

 

“I was thinking you could come to the house tonight and I’d fix that venison for us. If that’s okay?” Daryl said.

 

“Oh, I forgot about the venison. That would be perfect, but are you gonna have the time to fix it?”

 

“Yeah, just gonna grill up steaks; that won’t take long,” Daryl answered.

 

“Okay, I’ll make some stuff to go with it. Do you want me to make lunch later, or just wait for steaks?”

 

“You don’t need to go to no trouble for us,” Merle interjected. “We can wait for dinner.”

 

“Alright,” Gabby conceited. “I’m gonna go inside, make a few phone calls. If y’all need anything, just let me know or help yourself.”

 

When Gabby was back inside, she called her cousin and told her what was going on. Barb, of course, said she would do anything to help Merle and agreed to go to Daryl’s house for dinner that night.

 

She spent the rest of the afternoon reading, checking up on the brothers, and making a couple of side dishes for dinner. At one point, Daryl came in to get a couple bottles of water for him and Merle.

 

“I called Barb. She’s gonna come to dinner tonight, if that’s okay. I figure tonight would be the perfect time to do this.”

 

Daryl sighed. “I suppose it is. Don’t know how he’s gonna handle it, though.”

 

“Barb knows how to handle him; she knows what to do and say to him. You know this needs to happen. Neither one of you can live like this anymore.”

 

Daryl nodded, resigned to what was going to happen and went back outside to finish painting.


	12. The Intervention of Merle Dixon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to KrissyG927 for all her help with this story, especially this particular chapter. I'm blatantly using her for her expertise in the field.

Chapter Twelve- The Intervention of Merle Dixon

 

Gabrielle walked across the street to Merle and Daryl’s house. She went around to the back yard where she could smell grilling venison and hear the brothers bicker.

 

“Hello, boys!” she exclaimed as she announced herself.

 

“Hey, Gabbie,” Merle said. “What did ya bring?”

 

“Potato salad and coleslaw,” she answered. “You’ll eat that, right?”

 

“Hell, I’ll eat just about anything, sweetheart. Especially when it’s made with love.”

 

“It’s mostly potatoes and cabbage, but whatever you say,” Gabby responded sarcastically and went into the house.

 

Once Gabby was inside, Daryl handed the spatula to his brother. “I’m gonna see if she needs help,” he said as he walked to the back door leaving a chuckling Merle in the backyard.

 

“Is Barb coming over?” he asked quietly.

 

“She’s gonna leave her house in about fifteen or twenty minutes; should be here by the time we’re ready to eat. Does he know she’s coming over?”

 

“Hell, no. I don’t know how he’s gonna react and I don’t wanna risk him getting pissed and leaving before she gets here.”

 

“Okay, then. I’ll set the table and hopefully she’ll get here soon.”

 

Daryl went back outside and finished grilling the steaks while Merle sat and watched. He could tell his brother was nervous about something and he suspected it had something to do with the pretty neighbor, but couldn’t be sure. 

 

When Daryl declared the steaks done, he and Merle went back inside and helped Gabby finish setting the table. No sooner they had sat down, there was a knock on the door. Daryl looked at Gabby before getting up to answer it.

 

“Hey, Barb. Good to see ya,” Daryl said nervously.

 

“Good to see you, Daryl. Why don’t you step out here; I want to talk for a minute,” Barb asked.

 

Daryl stepped onto the porch and closed the door quietly behind him.

 

“Does Merle know what’s going on? Does he know I’m here?” She asked.

 

“No, Gabby and I haven’t said anything; didn’t want to risk him running off.”

 

Barb laughed. “Good idea. Is Gabby here?”

 

“Yeah, she’s inside. We just sat down to eat. I got a steak in there for ya and she made potato salad and coleslaw. There’s plenty to eat.”

 

“Good,” Barb chuckled. “I’m starving.”

 

She followed Daryl inside and he announced they had another guest for dinner. “Look who’s here,” he said as he locked the door behind him.

 

“Hey, Barb. What brings you here?” Merle said.

 

“I was coming to see Gabby but she wasn’t at home, so I thought, since I was here, I’d come by and say ‘Hi’.

 

“Pull up a chair and stay for supper. Daryl grilled venison steaks and your cuz made potato salad and coleslaw.”

 

“Thanks, Merle,” Barb said and patted him on the back as she sat down next to Gabby. “Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?” she asked her cousin.

 

“I’m good. Daryl and Merle painted the house today.”

 

“I saw that. Y’all did a great job. How much would you charge me to paint my house?

 

“We wouldn’t charge you a dime, darlin’” Merle said. “We don’t take money from friends.”

 

“That’s mighty nice of you Merle,” she responded. “How have you been?”

 

“Right as rain, sweetheart. Everything’s good with ‘ole Merle.”

 

“Staying clean and sober?” Barb asked casually as she cut into her steak.

 

Merle’s eyes shifted to his brother who shifted his eyes to the floor. “I ain’t got high since I went through rehab.”

 

“What about alcohol, Merle? Are you drinking?”

 

“Well now, I have a beer every now and then after work,” he answered her.

 

Gabby saw Daryl roll his eyes and scoot back from the table. “It’s more than beer and more often than after work. Don’t fucking lie to her. You spent a goddamn night in jail.”

 

“Now, Daryl. There’s no reason to ruin this wonderful meal with this kind of conversation. Barb don’t want to talk shop after work.”

 

Barb looked at Daryl to confirm it was okay to proceed. “Merle, what did you do to end up in jail?”

 

“What I do is none of your business! Is that why you’re here? Is this some kind of intervention? I’ll tell you what I done. I got fucking drunk, I took Daryl’s truck, parked off the highway and passed out.”

 

“You got my fucking truck impounded. I had to bail your ass out and my truck too. Not to mention you were an ass yesterday morning for no reason other than you wanted to be,” Daryl said angrily.

 

“Alright y’all,” Barb interjected, “we need to calm down. Merle, I’m here because Daryl and Gabby are worried about you, and I’m worried about you too. You beat the drugs, you can beat the alcohol too. You don’t need it.”

 

“You don’t know what I need!” Merle yelled. “None of y’all do. I’m sorry I ain’t like Daryl. I’m sorry I can’t handle my life and see the bright side and all that bullshit.”

 

Merle stood up and walked into the living room, leaving Gabby, Barb, and his brother in the kitchen. “I should go home,” Gabby said quietly. “This is a family thing; you don’t need me here.”

 

Daryl turned and looked at her pleadingly. “Please don’t leave. I need you here.”

 

“Okay,” she answered, surprised by his vulnerability, and followed him and her cousin into the other room.

 

Barb walked up to Merle and looked him in the eye. “You know you need get back into treatment. I know you’ve been going out drinking. You think people haven’t seen you at the bar? You think we don’t know the same people? This has gotten too big to hide, Merle. Don’t let it get too big to fix.”

 

Merle looked down to the floor in shame, then moved his eyes around the room, settling on his brother and Gabby. Daryl’s eyes were wet and although no tears fell, Merle could tell his brother was heartbroken by the situation, then he saw his brother take Gabrielle’s hand and squeeze it tight. 

 

“What do you think, baby brother? You agree that I need help? You think I got a problem?”

 

“Yeah, you know you got a problem too. I can’t live like this anymore. If you don’t do something and quit drinking, you can’t live here. You ain’t the same person when you drink. I just want my brother back.”

 

“You’d throw me out? Your own brother, homeless and out in the elements? That’s a shitty thing to do, Daryl. I’m the only family you got left, ain’t nobody loves you like I do and ain’t nobody ever will.”

 

“I’ll risk it,” Daryl said flatly. “I can’t bail you outta jail every week; I won’t. I love you, Merle, but I can’t live like this anymore. You’ve already lost a lot because of your goddamn addictions; you wanna lose me too?”

 

Daryl stared daggers at his brother, who looked back at him him with a blank expression. Despite what he had said to him earlier, the was the first time Merle truly realized how much he had hurt his brother. 

 

Merle then turned his gaze to Barb. “I’ll go to treatment, but you have to give me time to make arrangements with work. I gotta talk to my boss, there’s gonna be insurance paperwork and shit like that. Give me till Wednesday; come pick me up after work and I’ll be ready to go.”

 

“I can give you that,” Barb said. “You’re making the right decision, Merle.” She hugged him, whether he liked it or not. “I’m gonna be here Wednesday waiting on you when you get home. Don’t stand me up.”

 

“I won’t do that,” Merle admitted.

 

Daryl walked Barb to the door, thanked her for her help and told her that he would make sure his brother would be packed and ready to go to the clinic with her by the time he got home on Wednesday. She hugged him tight and told him everything would be alright and Merle would get better.

 

When he returned to the living room, Gabby had her arms around Merle’s neck and it appeared to Daryl that they were speaking to each other. He didn’t want to disturb them; Gabby was just comforting his brother, he was sure. She was good at that and it was something he knew Merle needed, so he leaned against the doorway and watched her work her magic.

 

Dinner had gone cold by the time Daryl, Merle, and Gabby made it back into the kitchen. “I’m not hungry anymore,” Merle said. “I think I’m gonna take a shower and go to bed. Why don’t y’all warm everything up and don’t let it all go to waste.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat, Merle? You need something on your stomach,” Gabby said.

 

“I know where the food is if I get hungry later,” he replied. “I’m exhausted; you two stay up and have fun. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

 

The two watched Merle walk away and then looked at each other. “I was afraid things would get violent,” Gabby said and started taking Tupperware out of the cabinet.

 

“It’s the calm before the storm,” Daryl told her. “He’s tired and that’s why he was so calm tonight. He wouldn’t have started anything physical with you and Barb here. Tomorrow may be different.”

 

“Are you saying he’s bullshitting us? Is he going to skip town or disappear when it’s time to go to the clinic?”

 

“I don’t know. He’s more unpredictable when he’s sober than when he’s falling down drunk. He’s gonna get angry and lash out before it’s over. He’s gotta talk to his boss and make arrangements for a leave of absence, fill out insurance paperwork, all that shit. I’m gonna call his boss, make sure he does all of that. I’m gonna hafta make sure he does what he’s supposed to.”

 

Daryl helped Gabby put the food into containers as they talked. “If you or Merle need help with anything, if there’s anything you need me to do, you’ll let me know, right? I’m in this with you and him and I just want the two of you to come out on the other side in one piece.”

 

“Me too,” he said and sighed loudly. “Why don’t you stay and eat with me, then I’ll walk you back home? It’s gonna be too quiet around here with Merle asleep. I could use the company tonight.”

 

“I’d be happy to have dinner with you. I’ve been looking forward to venison all week; I’m not going to walk away from it.”

 

Daryl finished putting away the leftovers and sat back down at the table across from Gabby. He didn’t say anything as he ate, but glanced across the table often. He hoped that she knew how grateful he was for everything she had done for him and his brother, two people she barely knew and who didn’t deserve the time of day from her.

 

He didn’t want her to think he was weak or emotional, but he was almost sure it was too late for that. He had to be strong, for himself and for Merle. He would wait until his brother was safe at the clinic to break down emotionally.

 

When they had finished eating, they loaded the dishes into the washer and Daryl walked Gabby home. “Thanks for staying. I didn’t know what to do and it helped knowing you were there.”

 

“I wasn’t going to abandon you, or Merle.” Gabby took Daryl’s hand in her own as they crossed the street together. “I want to help Merle get clean, not just for his own benefit but for yours too.”

 

They continued to hold hands as they climbed the steps to Gabby’s front door. “I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow,” Daryl said.

 

“Sure; maybe we can do something tomorrow, the three of us? I think you two should spend some time together before he leaves for the clinic.” 

 

“I’ll ask him in the morning.” Daryl released her hand and turned to go back to his house, when she snagged his wrist and he turned back around to face her. Gabby wrapped her arms around Daryl’s neck and squeezed tightly. 

 

He groaned inwardly at the closeness of their bodies and after a moment, he placed his hands on her waist and rested his forehead on her shoulder. He was lost in the scent of her skin and absentmindedly touched her neck with his lips. 

 

Daryl felt her body shiver in his arms and his heart jumped in his chest. He would have stood on her porch with his arms around her all night long if he could have, but he knew he had to get back home in case Merle needed him.

 

“I need to get back home,” he mumbled into her neck. Gabby pulled away and moved her hands to his shoulders. 

 

“If you need anything give me a call or come over, promise?”

 

“I promise,” he said as he let her go and walked down the steps back to his own house. As much as her touch excited him, he was too exhausted to act on it and when he returned home, after checking on his brother, Daryl fell into bed and let sleep take him.


	13. A Mountain Hike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle and Daryl spend a lazy day with Gabby

Chapter Thirteen- A Mountain Hike

 

Daryl woke up to Merle pounding on his bedroom door. “Get your ass outta bed. Gabby called and invited us out to breakfast. I told her we’d be ready in ten minutes.”

 

Daryl groaned and glanced at the alarm clock; it read eight-thirty. He literally slid out of bed and landed on the floor. He wondered how Merle managed to wake up before him, but then remembered the previous night.

 

He was still wearing his clothes from the day before and realized that having decided to forego a shower last night, he wouldn’t have time for one now. He sniffed his pitts and stood up; lifting his shirt over his head, he deodorized and replaced his shirt with a fresh one.

 

Merle was waiting impatiently at the kitchen table when Daryl finally came out of his room. “Get it in gear, brother. I’m starving!”

 

“Hold your dick, Merle; I’m getting ready. Let me brush my fucking teeth first,” Daryl replied sleepily as he went into the bathroom.

 

Merle looked out the front window and saw Gabby walk out her front door. He watched her walk down the steps and cross the street. Opening the door, he met her halfway. “How are you doing this fine day?” He asked her.

 

“I’m good, Merle. How are you?”

 

“I’m fine, I suppose. Slept better last night than I have in years.”

 

“That’s good to hear. Hopefully you’ll have more nights like that in the future.”

 

That’s when Daryl came outside and locked the door. “Mornin’,” he greeted them as he walked into the street. “I’ll drive.”

 

The other two followed as Daryl walked to his truck. Merle opened the front passenger’s seat for Gabby before climbing into the backseat.

 

“Where ya wanna go?” Daryl asked.

 

“We could go to Parkway, or Bob Evans, anywhere ya want,” Gabby stated. “You’re driving; we’re at your mercy.”

 

“Yes, you are,” Daryl said maniacally and laughed an evil laugh.

 

“Wow, you’re in a good mood,” Gabrielle said.

 

“He was in a shitty one when I woke him up this morning,” Merle said gruffly.

 

“How would you have felt if I pounded on your door and made you fall out of bed, asshole?”

 

Merle snickered. “Your ass fell out of bed? Damn, I wish I coulda seen that.”

 

“Shut up, fucker. At least I always know where I am when I wake up,” Daryl snapped back.

 

“Y’all need to stop acting like ten year olds,” Gabby snapped at both of them as Daryl pulled into the Bob Evans parking lot. “I swear if y’all don’t behave, we won’t do a damn thing today and I’ll stick y’all with the bill.”

 

“Yes, mom,” Daryl and Merle said in sync and laughed like hyenas as the exited the truck.

 

Gabby couldn’t help but laugh with them. She was happy to see the two getting along and acting like brothers. Seeing what Merle was doing to himself and his brother had broken her heart and knowing that he was making an effort to change the situation made her heart happy.

 

They waited about fifteen minutes for their table and spent that time looking around at all the touristy items that were for sale in the waiting area. Daryl was looking at t-shirts when he noticed Gabby looking at the jewelry in the counter where the cash registers were located. Before he could find out what had caught her eye, their name was called and they were taken to their table.

 

Merle ordered the sampler platter, which included one of almost everything on the menu. Gabby didn’t mind; she was having a good time and was determined to make this a memorable day for all of them.

 

“So, what would y’all like to do today?” she asked.

 

“It don’t matter to me sweetheart. As long as I stay busy doing something,” Merle said.

 

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed. “I don’t care what we do.”

 

“How about we go to the park and walk one of the trails?” she suggested. “It’s good exercise and if you’re going to get clean, Merle, you need to get healthy.”

 

Daryl started laughing and Merle huffed. “Listen here, honey, I go down into those mines every day. I drill through that mountain and shovel tons of coal into barrels all day long. I think I’m in pretty good shape.”

 

“Yes, Merle, you have big guns, but how much walking do you do? It’s not just good for your body; it’s good for your insides and your mental health.”

 

“Merle’s insides are good, but I don’t think there’s anything that can be done for his mental health,” Daryl said.

 

“The apple don’t fall far from the tree, Darylina; remember that,” Merle responded.

 

When he had finished eating, Daryl excused himself to go to the restroom, but instead went around the corner to the cash registers. He hadn’t seen what she was looking at, but thought he saw something that she would like.

 

“Can I help you, sir?” The man behind the counter said, startling Daryl.

 

“Uh, yeah. That necklace there, the one with the paper and the feather pen …”

 

“Quill,” the man behind the counter corrected him.

 

“Mmm, yeah, quill. How much is it?”

 

“That one is thirty- five dollars.”

 

I’ll take it,” Daryl told him and pulled two twenty dollar bills out of his wallet. The gentleman behind the counter wrapped the necklace in tissue paper and handed it to Daryl. Once the purchase was complete, he took the necklace and put it in his back pocket. 

 

He was planning to ask Gabby to go to dinner with him Wednesday night; their first official date, hopefully, and wanted it to be special. Maybe he would tell her how she made him feel, if he could get his nerve up.

 

When he got back to the table, Merle and Gabby were laughing about something. “What’s so funny?” Daryl asked as he sat back down.

 

“Your brother was telling me about the first time he took you out on a weekend hunt,” Gabby said through her giggles.

 

“Fuck, Merle, why do you have to do shit like that? I hope you feel good about embarrassing me like this.”

 

“It makes me feel pretty damn good, little brother. I’m gonna be gone for at least twenty- eight days; let me have some fun.”

 

“He’s right, Daryl,” Gabby said. “I have never once spent the night in the woods. I would have done much worse than having to hold someone’s hand to go pee.”

 

“I did not hold Merle’s hand! I was twelve years old. I asked him to stand guard. It was fucking dark and the batteries in my flashlight were dying.”

 

“Whatever makes you feel better, baby brother,” Merle replied and stood up. Grabbing the check from the table he headed off toward the cash register. Gabby got up and rushed after him.

 

“This is on me, Merle. I told you I was buying.”

 

“Not today, honey. I owe you for calling Barb and getting her to the house last night. I never would’ve called her on my own. It ain’t much, but let me buy ya breakfast.”

 

Gabby nodded her head and let him go. Daryl soon came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for letting him do that. He ain’t one to take charity or let someone do something for him without paying ‘em back.”

 

“I can tell. He’s got pride and I don’t want to step on that. He deserves to have his dignity in tact.”

 

Daryl smiled at her. Gabrielle was the most kind and thoughtful person he’d ever met. No one had ever treated Merle or him with any kind of respect, and it was the most amazing feeling he’d ever known. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

The trail they picked was two miles round trip. It went a little ways up the mountain and then back down in a circle. Gabby bought a bottle of water for each of them to take on the hike and, leaving the truck at the head of the trail, they set out on their walk.

 

There was no conversation at first; all three of them focused on and admiring the landscape. Merle would pick up small rocks and pitch them into the creek that ran along the pathway. Daryl had found a long branch and was using it as a walking stick.

 

Gabrielle was walking behind both men, watching their behavior. Every now and then, one or the other of them would walk up and shove his brother playfully; they would laugh together and at one point, Merle put his arm around Daryl’s shoulders and gave him a brotherly half- hug.

 

When they hit the one mile mark, Merle asked Gabby if she had found a job yet. “No, not yet. I think I might talk to my cousin Bonnie. She’s a retired teacher and knows a lot of people. I may have to consider a brand new path in life.”

 

He stopped walking and waited for Gabby to catch up. “I don't want to pretend that I know anything about your life or what you've been through, but I think it's good to try new things. I know you got divorced not too long ago and you already started a new life by moving here. Don't stop there; get a job doing something ya love, find a man that loves ya and treats ya right.”

 

Both Gabby and Daryl were stunned by Merle's wise words. “What. The. Hell?” Daryl exclaimed. 

 

“Don't be so shocked, little brother,” Merle said. “I know shit.”

 

Gabby threw her arms around Merle and hugged him tight. “Thank you,” she said. “I think I'll take your advice.”

 

“I hope you do. You deserve a good, happy life.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

It was mid-afternoon when they got back home. Gabby was tired and told the brothers she was going to her house to take a nap and that she would probably talk to them later. 

 

When the brothers finally got into their own house, they collapsed on the couch. “It's been a good day, brother,” Merle said.

 

“Best day I've had in a long time,” Daryl agreed.

 

“I don't know if Gabby noticed it, but I've been wondering what the hell is in your back pocket,” Merle asked, suspicious of his brother.

 

Daryl stood up and took the tissue paper from his pocket and handed it to Merle.

 

“She was looking at the jewelry case while we were waiting for the table. When I got up to go to the bathroom, I went over there to see if I could figure out what she was looking at.”

 

Merle opened the box, but didn't take the necklace out. “This is beautiful, Daryl. When you gonna give it to her?”

 

“I was thinking about asking her out to dinner Wednesday night. Not having you here is gonna be strange; it's gonna take a while before I'm used to being here alone, so I thought it’d be as good a night as any.”

 

Merle wrapped the necklace back up and handed it to his brother. “I'm glad to see you're finally gonna tell her how ya feel. If you love her, she needs to know. I know from experience, don't keep that information to yourself. Don't assume she knows, but don't just tell her. You need to show her too. I don't want you to make the same mistake I made. It ruined my life.”


	14. Coal Dust

Chapter Fourteen- Coal Dust

 

Wednesday morning came faster than either brother anticipated. Daryl had helped Merle pack his bag the night before and had arranged with Mr. Baisden to leave work early so he would be at home and able to say goodbye to Merle in person.

 

Merle was already up and in the shower when Daryl made his way into the kitchen. He set up the coffee pot, then lit a cigarette and opened the front window. He looked over to Gabby’s house and sighed. 

 

He thought about the smile she had given him when he asked her out to dinner the day before. He told her he wanted to take her to the stake place that was up the holler by the movie theater and that maybe, if she wanted to, they could see a movie afterward.

 

Merle had been giving him advice ever since. Telling him what to do and what not to do; not in a sarcastic or parental way, but like an older brother would advise his younger. With love and affection.

 

Merle finished his shower at the same time Daryl finished his cigarette and when Daryl extinguished the smoke in the ashtray on the coffee table, he went to get ready for his own shower. They, literally, ran into each other in the hallway.

 

“Watch where the fuck you're going, brother. Open your eyes.”

 

“My eyes are open,” Daryl replied. “I was just distracted, is all.”

 

“You thinking about that girl of yours again?” Merle asked.

 

“She ain't my girl,” Daryl retorted.

 

“Not yet, but you wait,” Merle said as he went into his bedroom. “If you do everything I told ya, she'll be yours by the end of the night.”

 

Daryl grinned as his brother closed the door in his face. “That would be nice,” he said quietly to himself.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl dropped Merle off at the mine and called Gabby on his way to the hardware store. He wanted to know what time Barb was going to pick Merle up and if she still wanted to go to dinner. She said yes to dinner, of course, and told him that Barb would be at the house by six o’clock.

 

He arranged with Mr. Baisden that he could leave work at four-thirty to pick up Merle and get him home so they could both shower and get ready for the night. Merle’s imminent departure was weighing heavy on his mind, but he knew it was what needed to be done. He couldn’t live with Merle like this anymore, especially after what he had done to his truck.

 

He tried to keep his mind on his date with Gabby, but that stressed him out. He ran over every scenario in his head and found fault with all of them. In his head, anything and everything that could go wrong, would. 

 

Daryl took his lunch break behind the front counter like he always did. There had not been a lot of customers that morning and he had used that time to straighten shelves and take inventory for the order he would have to make later that week. 

 

His thoughts had drifted to Gabby again, when the phone rang and startled him causing him to jump a little and almost knocked over his bottle of Coke.

 

“Baisden Brothers’ Hardware. How may I help you?”

 

“Daryl?” a familiar voice said on the other end of the line.

 

“Hey, Gabby. What’s up?”

 

The bell above the door chimed and Daryl looked up to see Mr. Baisden walk in.

 

“Have you been listening to the news?” she asked in a strained voice.

 

Mr. Baisden walks behind the counter and sat in the available chair next to Daryl.

 

“No,” he answered, a little confused. “Something happen?”

 

“I don’t know how to tell you this but there was an accident at the mine. They say it was an explosion. It must’ve just happened because they don’t even know if it was in an area where anyone was working.”

 

Daryl felt the all the air leave his lungs. He felt nauseous and dizzy and went to sit back down on the stool. 

 

“What the fuck?” was all he could say. He looked at Mr. Baisden and realized why he was there. “I have to go down there. I have to make sure Merle’s safe,” he said frantically.

 

“I’m coming to pick you up. You shouldn’t be driving. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Gabby said and hung up the phone.

 

Mr. Baisden took the phone from Daryl’s frozen hand and places it on the base. “You need to go, Daryl. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t know if you knew or not. You take the rest of the day, but let me know what’s going on. Call me when you find out something.”

 

Daryl didn’t know what to say. His mind was moving a thousand miles a second. All he could do is nod his head. 

 

“You shouldn’t be driving; your too upset. Is there anyone who can come get you?” his boss asked.

 

“Gabby, she’s coming. That was her that called.”

 

Mr. Baisden stood and reached out to Daryl. He wrapped his arms around his employee and hugged him tight. “I’m not a praying man, but I’m gonna say one for you, and your brother.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl fidgeted the whole way to the mine company office. He didn’t speak and neither did Gabby. She didn’t know what to say. She could have tried to reassure the man sitting next to her; telling him that she was sure his brother was safe and probably not in that section of the mine, but she couldn’t say it with any sort of certainty and she didn’t want to give him false hope.

 

He didn’t wait for the truck to come to a complete stop before his belt was off and he was out of the vehicle and inside the office. Gabby sat in the truck, alone and took a deep breath. She had an overwhelming feeling of dread and was anxious about following Daryl into the small trailer. She sat there for about two or three minutes before getting out and walking through the door.

 

The small office was full of people waiting to find out if one of their loved ones was trapped beneath the Earth. She found Daryl standing in the corner on the left side of the door. He was staring blankly into space and she approached him cautiously.

 

“Do they know anything yet?” she asked.

 

Daryl’s eyes quickly shifted to her face and his thumbnail went directly between his lips. “There’s people down there, but they don’t know how many or who they are. The tipple supervisor is getting the assignment to see who is supposed to be in that section. They’re trying to open up a passageway so they can relieve some of the pressure down there and find out if any of them are still alive.”

 

His eyes were glassy and Gabby knew that he was trying not to let the tears fall. She put her arms around his neck and held him close. His arms encircled her waist and he buried his face in her neck. They stood, holding each other until the door opened and a man wearing coal stained work clothes came in with a clipboard.

 

“Okay folks,” he announced. “I have the list, but keep in mind, this is who should be down there, not necessarily who is down there. Shit happens and things change sometimes.

 

Daryl separated himself from Gabby’s embrace and he inconspicuously wiped the water from his eyes. Standing up straight as a board, he gave the man his full attention.

 

The man read off a list of seven names. Daryl’s body relaxed more and more after every name he heard was not his brother’s, until the last one was.


	15. A Long, Hard Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Gabby wait to find out Merle's fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is completed, so I will be posting more often. I will now post one chapter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  
> A special shout out to MistressMistrust for her awesome comments. Love you!!!

Daryl darted out the door without a glance to anyone. Many people in the office began to cry and Gabby began to feel overwhelmed by the emotions in the room, so she followed Daryl out the door.

 

She found him leaning against the passenger’s side of the truck lighting a cigarette. “It doesn’t mean he’s down there,” she said as she brushed a few loose hairs behind his ear.

 

“If he ain’t down there, then where the fuck is he? They would’ve evacuated the other sections as soon as they realized what happened. Those men would either have come to the office or called their families knowing they’d be worried.”

 

“Maybe he’s on his way up here. Maybe he didn’t have his phone on him. We just have to wait and be patient. Hopefully we’ll hear something soon,” Gabrielle tried to reassure him.

 

Daryl didn’t respond, he just smoked his cigarette and tried to calm his nerves. They waited around for an hour and a half before they heard any news. A black SUV pulled up to the office and a man wearing a tailored suit got out on the driver’s side, followed by three other men wearing the same mining uniforms as the other workers.

 

Many of the people who had been in the office had migrated outside in the last hour and a half and mobbed the men as the walked from the vehicle to the office, but the men didn’t acknowledge them. Some of the family members followed them into the trailer, but were soon ushered back out by the tipple supervisor.

 

“They’re having a meeting in there,” one of the women said out loud. “I guess they’re figuring out what their gonna tell us.”

 

Ten minutes later the man wearing the suit, along with the four other mining company employees came back outside. The man in the suit, obviously a corporate man, cleared his throat before he spoke.

 

“Excuse me, everybody. My name is Dewey Hatfield. We’ve been able to find the section where the explosion occurred. As far as we can tell, there are six individuals trapped in the area. We don’t know what caused the explosion; we won’t know that for a few days, at least until we’ve been able to get everyone out. We have men communicating with a couple of the trapped miners and believe that out of the six, three are deceased, but have not been able to verify the identities of any of the men trapped.”

 

“When will you know?” Someone from the crowd yelled. “If you’re talking to them, how do you not know who they are?”

 

“Communication is difficult at this time; it’s hard to hear. We’ve bored a hole through the mountain and have men working their way down into the area to examine the situation. This is all we know at this time. We’ll make an announcement when we know more.”

 

With that, the man in the suit and the four other men with him got back into the SUV and drove off in the direction they had come from. The entire crowd began to groan and complain about how little information they were given and Daryl lit another cigarette; his fifth since arriving at the office. 

 

The people gathered, waiting for more information, reacted to the situation differently. Some ranted, raved, and bitched about how the company was handling things; the older ones were resigned to how things were developing because they had been through this situation before.

 

Then there were a few who were just numb. They hadn’t been through this before; they didn’t know how to react. Daryl was one of those. He sat in Gabrielle’s truck staring into space trying to keep his shit together. She sat next to him, holding his hand. Every now and then, he would squeeze the hand inside his own and sigh deeply.

 

News vans and reporters wandered around trying to get interviews with some of the family members; some were eager to talk, others were angered by the invasive requests for opinions and public outpouring of emotion for ratings.

 

Daryl just wanted to disappear. He didn’t want to be around all these people. He wanted Merle to walk up to the truck, climb in, and take him home. 

 

It was four hours before the man in the suit returned with the others. The sunlight was dimming and the mountain air was beginning to cool. The company had provided a meal for those family members who had decided to wait out the day, but Daryl hadn’t participated. He was too sullen and distracted to eat. 

 

Gabby had refused the food as well. Her empathic tendencies wouldn’t allow her to fill her body with something good if Daryl remained miserable; it just wasn’t right.

 

The man in the suit looked haggard and haunted; as if he had gone down into the mine himself and seen something he could never forget. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

 

“We have men in the tunnel; they’ve assessed the situation as best they can under the circumstances. They believe the explosion may have been caused by combusting coal dust, but the official investigation won’t begin until sometime tomorrow.”

 

At this time, one of the men handed the suited man another clipboard. It could have been the same one from before, but it didn’t matter whether it was or wasn’t.

 

“We have been able to identify the three men that have been evacuated so far. They are currently receiving medical care and will be taken to the hospital for evaluation. Those men are Jeb Davis, Everett Ellis, and Tommy Wooten. They will be taken to Logan General Hospital and the family members can go ahead and head that way if they wish.”

 

The man sifted through some of the other papers on the clipboard while a few of the group began to walk to their cars to head off to the hospital.

 

Daryl slowly walked through the crowd toward the man in the suit. “Do you know who else is down there and if they’re alive?”

 

The man in the suit looked at Daryl with sadness. “What’s your name?” he asked.

 

“Daryl Dixon, my brother Merle is supposed to be down there.”

 

The man sighed heavily. “Come with me son. We need to talk.”

 

The man turned and walked toward the office. Daryl turned and found Gabby standing not too far behind him. Holding out his hand, he invited her to come with him. His hand shook as she clasped it and she squeezed it tight.

 

The man had set up chairs inside the office and offered a seat to Daryl and Gabby. “Is he alive?” Daryl asked with a shaky voice.

 

“Son, there are three more men down there. They’re being evacuated right now. We have reason to believe that only one of them is still alive, but we can’t be sure which one it is until all of them are out.”

 

Daryl was still holding Gabby’s hand and his grip became unbearably tight. She grimaced a little, but didn’t say anything; he was not in control of his emotions and couldn’t feel the amount of pressure he was putting on Gabby’s hand.

 

“How long before you know? Can I go down there? Maybe he’ll talk to me,” Daryl said desperately.

 

“I can’t allow you down there. We’ve got ambulances, paramedics, and the rescue team. We’re concentrating on getting those men out; I can’t be responsible for you too. Besides you can’t talk to him and he can’t hear you unless your in the tunnel.”

 

Daryl let go of Gabby’s hand and stood abruptly. Pacing across the floor, his thumb returns to its home between his lips. “I can’t just sit here and wait. I’ve been doing that all day. I’m gonna go fucking nuts if I have to do it for much longer.”

 

A look of distant sorrow came over the man’s features. “You may not remember this, but there was an explosion in this very mine forty-five years ago. I was twelve years old. Both my dad and my oldest brother died in that explosion. It took twenty-four hours just to get through to communicate. By that time all the men were dead.”

 

Daryl visibly winced and stopped pacing. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

 

The man stood from his chair and walked toward the door. “I don’t know if your brother is alive down there. I don’t know if the one who died, died immediately or after the fact, but I can tell you that for all the safety precautions that have been put in place in the last forty-five years it still doesn’t guarantee everyone’s life.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl finally dozed off in the passenger’s seat of Gabby’s truck with a blanket over him. She couldn’t sleep, though. Gabby stared out the window watching the distant mountain where the ambulances, and rescue workers remained in the late hours of the night.

 

She had called Mr. Baisden, on Daryl’s request and told him everything she knew. He told her to tell Daryl that he didn’t need to come into work the next day. He would be closing the hardware store out of respect for the community and the losses they had all experienced. 

He also asked her to tell him that he had gone to church and lit a candle for Merle; something he hadn’t done in decades, so he hoped it worked.

 

Gabby was startled from her gaze by the sound of Daryl shifting next to her. When she turned around, he was looking at her sleepily. “We should have been on our date right now,” he said quietly.

 

She smiled at him. “It’s just postponed. As soon as we know Merle is safe and being treated, we’ll have our date.”

 

He remembered the necklace that was sitting in the drawer of his bedside table and if he had it with him now, he would give it to her. He felt guilty thinking about what might have been, but maybe it was better that he focus on something else right now. 

 

“This was supposed to be a special night. I was gonna dress up; wear a pair of jeans that don’t have holes and a button down shirt. I was gonna take ya to that steak place up by the movie theater.” 

 

“It’s been a long time since I went on a real date. If you still wanna take me out, we’ll go.”

 

Suddenly, they heard the siren of an ambulance coming down the mountain and toward the office. There were two of them, in fact. Behind them was the black SUV. It pulled away from the convoy and came to a stop next to Gabby’s truck.

 

“Start ‘er up. We can head to the hospital and see what his condition is,” Daryl said, not noticing that the man in the suit was walking over to him. 

 

“Mr. Dixon,” the man said as the truck roared to life. 

 

Daryl rolled his window down. “We saw the ambulances. We’re just gonna follow ‘em out.”

 

The man put his hand on the open hole left by the retracted window. “You won’t need to do that, Daryl. I’m sorry.”

 

A


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl makes arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is reading, commenting, and leaving kudos. Y'all rock!

Chapter Sixteen-

 

Daryl’s eyes were glassy, but he remained calm, much to Gabby’s surprise. She expected him to lose control, but he hadn’t. The man in the suit had told them that the company would be conducting their own investigation, examining the tunnels as well as interviewing those who had been trapped. He told Daryl that he would personally take care of Merle’s insurance and any other paperwork that needed to be done. 

 

He had been in a daze and wasn’t paying attention to what the man said; he was too busy trying to get his mind around the idea that his brother was gone. He was sitting still as a statue; Gabby thought he could be catatonic, and drove him straight home.

 

“You should stay with me tonight. I don’t think you should be alone,” she said.

 

He didn’t respond, just continued to stare out the front window.

 

“Once you’re settled at my place, I’ll go to your house and grab a few things for you, okay?”

 

He didn’t respond to anything until they pulled up to Gabby’s house. She got out and opened Daryl’s door for him. He looked up at her with red eyes, then stepped out. 

 

“Thanks,” he said. “Let’s go to my place first. I don’t want you walking across the street after dark by yourself. You know that.”

 

“Alright,” she conceded and followed him to his house. He paused before he put the key in the lock and exhaled loudly as he walked past the threshold. He shot through the door and power walked straight to his bedroom.

 

“Do you need any help? Is there anything I can do?” Gabby yelled through the house.

 

“Naw, just give me a minute. This won’t take long,” he replied. Gabby sat down at the kitchen table and sighed, then cried. 

 

She heard Daryl move around in his room and then go into the bathroom. He hadn’t shed a tear yet, but she knew it was coming. He wouldn’t let it happen until he was alone. Daryl wouldn’t dare let another person see him cry; she knew that about him. She just hoped that he would let himself feel it and not keep it inside until he blew up.

 

Within minutes he was back in the kitchen with a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. He was sniffling a bit and his red rimmed eyes were swollen. “Thanks for letting me stay at your place. I don’t think I could sleep here tonight.”

 

“Of course, Daryl. I don’t want to you sleep here. You shouldn’t be alone, especially in the home you shared with him.”

 

Daryl nodded his head and let Gabby walk ahead and out the door. Neither of them spoke again until they were in Gabby’s house. Daryl sat his bag on the couch and then took a seat beside it.

 

“Do you want me to fix something to eat? You must be starving.”

 

“I ain’t hungry,” he responded.

 

“You haven’t eaten all day. You need something,” she pleaded with him.

 

He looked up at her with a blank expression. “I just wanna go to sleep. I got a lot of shit to do tomorrow and I just want to sleep.”

 

Gabby couldn’t argue with him. “Let me get you some sheets and a pillow.”

 

“Is it okay if I take a shower?” he asked and picked his bag up from the couch.

 

“Of course, there are towels and wash clothes in the closet. Take your time; I’ll make up the couch for you.” She placed her palm on his cheek and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead. Daryl closed his eyes and drew a sharp breath at the contact.

 

He wanted to kiss her; he wanted to sit on the couch with her and put his arms around her and sob on her shoulder. He wanted to feel her arms around him and let her comfort him, but none of that happened. He watched her turn and walk away.

 

Daryl clutched his bag in his hand and followed her into the hallway. He glanced in the direction of her bedroom and saw her at her dresser taking out a set of sheets. Sighing quietly to himself, he walked down the opposite end of the hall and into the bathroom.

 

The water was as hot as he could stand it and the room was steamy with fog. The water cascaded over his exhausted body and Daryl stood under the stream willing himself not to cry. 

 

It had only been Merle and him since he was eighteen-years-old. He had never depended on his brother for much; Merle wasn’t dependable or reliable and Daryl had taken over as the older, wiser protector, for what that was worth. Right now, he felt alone and abandoned.

 

Daryl stood in that shower for twenty minutes and hadn’t even wet the washcloth. When he snapped out of his daze, he realized the water had run ice cold and turned the knobs off immediately. Running a hand over his face, he opened the shower door and grabbed the towel that was sitting on the toilet lid. 

 

Gabby was sitting at the kitchen table when Daryl came out of the bathroom. He dropped his bag by the couch before going in to sit with her. “Feeling any better?”

She asked.

 

“I feel cleaner, if that counts,” he said. His voice was far away and he was distracted by what Gabby knew were the events of the day.

 

“It does,” she responded and stood up. Walking behind him, she laid her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. “If you get hungry, help yourself to whatever you find. If you need anything else, you can come get me. I’m easy to wake up.”

 

With that, her hands left his shoulders and she was gone. He could still feel her warm hands on him and he missed them once they were gone. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but went to the couch and laid down anyway. Turning off the rest of the lights, he made himself comfortable with his eyes wide open.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Sunlight was poking through the slit in Gabby’s window shade and forced her unwilling eyes to open. They immediately closed right after. She put her forearm over her eyes and groaned, then she remembered what had happened the day before.

 

Daryl hadn’t woken her up; she hoped that meant he had slept well. He needed sleep desperately, but wasn’t sure if he would allow himself that luxury. She knew him well enough to know that if he let himself doze off, he would feel guilty for not grieving the way he should.

 

Gabby knew he had a busy day ahead of him. He had to go to the mining office, the funeral home, and the cemetary. She would offer to go with him; she wasn’t about to let him go through that alone, so she got herself out of bed and headed out to face the day.

 

She stopped to pee and brush her teeth, not wanting to expose Daryl to her morning breath, then walked into the living room. To her surprise, the couch was empty. The sheets were neatly folded and Daryl’s bag was gone. She looked out the front window and saw that the front door to his house was wide open.

 

Taking her phone out the pocket of her pajama pants she called Daryl’s cell phone; he picked up after two rings.

 

“Hey, Daryl. Why didn’t you wake me up? I want to go with you.” Gabby said, not taking her eyes off the house across the street.

 

“Thanks, but I need to do this on my own; you don’t have to do anything. You just relax. Mr. Baisden is dropping my truck off and I’m gonna drive him back to the store. Then I’m gonna take care of the arrangements. I’ll let you know when I get back.”

 

“Are you sure? I’ve been through this before and I know how hard it is. Please let me help.”

 

“Thank you, I mean it, but I want to do this by myself. I promise I’ll see you when I’m done, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Gabby relented. “Promise that you’ll let me know if you need me, or want me to meet you somewhere.”

 

“I promise,” he told her. “I just came over here to get some paperwork. I don’t know what I’m gonna need, so I wanted to have Merle’s birth certificate and social security card if I need it.”

 

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later,” she said and hung up the phone.

 

Sitting on the couch, she noticed it was still fairly warm from where he had been laying and closed her eyes. She had wanted him to come to her the night before. She wished he had knocked on her door, crawled into her bed and allowed her to hold him and make him forget what had happened, but for one reason or another, he didn’t.

 

She continued to stare out the window until she saw his boss pull into the driveway and watched him get into the truck and drive off. Sighing to herself, Gabby walked into the kitchen and put two frozen waffles into the toaster oven.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl’s first stop was the mining office; he had paperwork to sign and was dreading that more than anything else he had to do that day. He didn’t want to go back there. He had spent the worst day of his life in that place and never wanted to see it again. 

 

Mr. Hatfield, the man in the suit from the day before, was already in the office when he arrived. He graciously made the experience a quick and relatively painless one and Daryl was grateful for that.

 

His next stop was the James Funeral Home. He was surprised to find out that they had been expecting him, but then remembered that his brother had been the only one to die the day before.

 

The gentleman Daryl spoke to helped him through the process; choosing a coffin and vault, scheduling a visitation and funeral service, and writing an obituary. At the last minute Daryl realized that Merle didn’t own a suit. He told the man at the funeral home that he would have to buy one and would bring it in the next day. The man told him that would be fine; they didn’t expect to receive the body for at least a day or two.

 

His last stop was the cemetery. Neither he, nor Merle had burial plots, so he had to buy one and have it opened; he really hoped Merle’s life insurance would pay for it. It took three hours for all the arrangements to be made and Daryl was numb by the time he got in his truck to head home.

 

He had it in the back of his mind that he should probably eat something and call Gabby, but he couldn’t bring himself to do either. He couldn’t stay with her forever and wanted to go home and start cleaning out his brother’s bedroom. The sooner that room was empty, the sooner he would be able to sleep at his own house.

 

Daryl was grateful that Gabby’s truck was gone when he got back. He needed to be alone for a while and didn’t want to bother or worry her. 

 

Creeping into the house as if he wasn’t supposed to be there, he sat his keys on the kitchen table and took a bottle of Coke out of the fridge before walking through the living room and into the hallway.

 

He stood in front of his brother’s closed bedroom door, his arms hanging slack at his sides and closed his eyes. Then he pushed the door open, walked inside, and closed the door behind him.


	17. Hurt and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl breaks down and accepts Gabby's comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your cries of mourning have been heard and I offer this chapter to you as a reprieve for your grief.  
> Let me know what you think.

Chapter Seventeen- Hurt and Comfort

 

After breakfast, Gabby took a shower and got dressed. She needed to talk to her cousin. She had spoken to her briefly yesterday; long enough to tell her that Merle was one of the trapped miners, but she hadn’t updated her.

 

Gabby told Barb that she was worried about Daryl; she was afraid that he wouldn’t let himself feel his grief and that he would keep everything inside him until it drove him crazy. Barb assured her that he hadn’t come to terms with it just yet. It might not hit him until the funeral and that Gabby needed to make sure that she was there for him when it did. She offered to help in anyway she could and made Gabby promise that she became worried about Daryl, she would let Barb know.

 

On her way home from Barb’s house, Gabby stopped at Morrison’s and picked up hot dogs for her and Daryl. She worried that he hadn’t eaten yet and would pry his mouth open and shove a chili dog down his throat if she had too. 

 

Pulling up to her house, she saw Daryl’s truck parked across the street and pulled her vehicle up behind his. She thought he might be packing some more clothes to stay at her house; that’s what she was hoping at least.

 

She grabbed the bags of food and walked up to the front door. After a full minute of knocking, the door still had not opened. Jiggling the doorknob, she found the door unlocked and let herself in.

 

The house was still and quiet and it unnerved her. She knew Daryl was in the house somewhere, but she couldn’t hear him moving around and she got scared. 

 

“Daryl?” she called out anxiously. “Where are you?”

 

Her question was met with silence and Gabby walked into the living room to look for him. He wasn’t there and he wasn’t in the bathroom, laundry room, or his bedroom. She stood outside Merle’s bedroom door and debated whether or not to open it. It was the only place she hadn’t looked and knew she would find him behind the door.

 

The knob was loud and the door creaked as she opened it. The room looked the same as it had the last time she had seen it except that Daryl was kneeling at the side of the bed like a child saying his nighttime prayers.

 

“Daryl?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

 

He turned his head to face her; his eyes were puffy and red. He quickly wiped tears from his cheeks, then turned away from her. 

 

“I came to clean out his room. I can’t stay here if I know his shit is here and he’s not.” Daryl replied.

 

Gabby knelt behind him and put her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on his shoulder blade.

 

“You don’t have to do this now. You can stay with me as long as you need to; as long as you want to. I want you to stay with me.”

 

“I don’t want to be a burden. I don’t need you to take care of me.”

 

Gabby released him and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “You need to take some time, Daryl. You need to let somebody else do for you. I wanted to help you this morning but you were too stubborn. You have to let someone in; you have to let someone help you deal with this.”

 

Daryl looked up and moved slightly to his right to be in front of her. “You want to help me?” he asked timidly.

 

“Yes,” Gabby said, just as timidly, and ran her fingers through his hair. “I want to be the one who gets to take care of you; the one who gives you a reason to keep going.”

 

Daryl leaned in closer and caressed her cheek. “You are, you do.”

 

His lips grazed hers as one of his hands moved to the back of her head. Gabby opened her mouth slightly and Daryl’s tongue slid across her lips and then tangled with her own.

He leaned in further and began to stand, but instead he pushed her back on the bed and climbed over her. His kiss became more heated and passionate; her arms wrapped around him and held him closer.

 

For one moment he forgot about his brother and the tragedy that had taken him away. He was focused on Gabrielle and her small, soft body beneath his. His hands moved down to her thighs and he lifted them, wrapping them around his waist.

 

Her deep moan brought him back to reality and he suddenly tore himself away from her, standing up and backing away from the bed.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said horrified by what he had done. 

 

Gabby sat up and gave him a sad and confused look. “Are you?”

 

Daryl leaned against the opposite wall. “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t what you were talking about.”

 

Gabby shook her head. “Not what I asked you,” she said as she stood. “I asked if you really are sorry that you kissed me.”

 

She advanced toward him slowly. He watched her body move as she took small, hesitant steps. “Only if you want me to be.”

 

“I don’t.” She was standing inches away from him now. “If you want to kiss me or touch me, I’ll let you.” 

 

She placed her palms flat against his chest. She could feel his heart beating erratically and knew her own heartbeat matched his. His shaking hands grasped her hips and pulled her against him. His voice was a whisper in her ear.

 

“I need you,” he said with a shaky voice. 

 

His lips laid against the soft skin of her neck and seemed to move of their own volition, not his conscious decision. His hands moved from her hips to the back of her thighs. Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around him and his mouth went to hers.

 

Their lips and tongues mangled together as he walked down the hall to his own bedroom. When they passed through the doorway Daryl instinctively moved to close the door with his ass, but something in the back of his mind told him he didn’t need to do that anymore.

 

He stopped in the center of the room, just a couple of feet away from the bed and Gabby’s legs fell from around him and her feet hit the floor. He continued to kiss her, his lips moved from hers and down her neck and throat to her collarbone. 

 

Gabby’s hands went to his waist and her fingers kneaded the bottom of his t-shirt pulling on it. She felt him smile against her skin as she began to lift the shirt from his body and he tore his lips away from her long enough to let the thin piece of cotton over his head.

 

He returned the favor and peeled her shirt from her body. His eyes went from her face to the swell of her breast which were supported by a white lace bra. His thumbs stroked the soft skin as his palms cupped and squeezed them gently.

 

Gabby released a high pitch sigh and gasped as Daryl dipped his head and sucked on her nipple through the white lace. He walked her backwards until the back of her knees hit the edge of the mattress. The impact caused her to bend at the knee and she sat on the bed tearing her body away from Daryl’s mouth.

 

She looked up at him and he licked his lips. “Lay back,” he whispered, and she did. She watched him unbutton his jeans and slide them down his legs, leaving him in a pair of blue boxer briefs. His dick strained against the material and it was obvious how large and hard he was.

 

Daryl leaned down and ran his hands over her breasts and stomach moving them down to the button of her pants. His eyes never left hers as he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and pulled them off her legs. He inhaled sharply and the sight of her near naked body; his eyes now focused on her matching white lace panties. 

 

He slowly rubbed her thighs with his hands as if he were trying to warm them up, then gripped them tightly and pulled her closer to the edge. He knelt down on his knees and pulled her legs apart. Gazing into her eyes, he leaned forward and kissed her over the white lace. His lips moved on her, his tongue licked and massaged her methodically tasting the damp patch on her panties.

 

Gabby whimpered when Daryl sat back on his knees and removed his mouth from her most sensitive part. She lifted her head and looked at him with foggy eyes to see that his gaze was even more intense than it had been before. He pulled her panties down her legs and threw them behind his back then placed her heels on his shoulders.

 

His hands ghosted over her stomach as he licked a line from her pussy to her clit. Her body shivered and he pressed down on her with his hands to keep her from moving. Her breath came faster the more focused he became and he hummed around her. He removed one hand and replaced his mouth with his thumb as he moved his tongue inside her.

 

Her moans were deep and loud, her cries became more intense the closer she got to the edge. Daryl became ravenous; the more he tasted of her, the more he wanted. When she came, Gabby held his head in place and cried out.

 

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh fuck, Daryl! Yes!”

 

She came long and hard and Daryl never stopped until her body went slack. Daryl waited before standing. He looked down at her half naked body; her eyes were closed and her chest was moving rapidly. Her face was flushed, her chest blotchy red, and he was amazed at how beautiful she looked. 

 

He shimmied the boxer briefs down his legs and moved to lay next to her on the bed. Gabby was on her back and Daryl rubbed her stomach gently until she opened her eyes.

 

He looked at her inquiringly, begging with his eyes that she would want more. She smiled sleepily and turned to face him. Wrapping her leg around his she pushed him to lay on his back. 

 

Crawling over him, she straddled his legs and bent down to kiss him. He put one arm around her back and his other hand held her face. 

 

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as their lips parted. 

 

She smiled at him again and sat up. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra and pulled it off her body. His hands went to her now bare breasts and he closed his eyes as he nimbly touched them with his fingers, swiping her nipples with his thumb.

 

He felt her move her hips against him and groaned. She was still wet and his body was on fire for her. Gabby placed one hand on Daryl’s chest and grasped his cock with the other as she lifted her hips and lined him up with her hole. 

 

She slid down slowly, being careful of his size. She had never been with anyone as large as he was, and although he was probably average, he was thicker than she’d ever had.

 

Daryl was in ecstasy. She fit him like a glove and he could feel her stretch to accommodate him. Once their bodies were locked together, she moved her hips in a circular motion, both hands on his chest to support herself; his hands rested on her hips and moved with them.

 

“You feel so good inside me, Daryl. No one has ever filled me up like this,” she said breathlessly and moved her arms behind her to grip Daryl’s thighs. She moved up and down on him, and threw her head back. Her loud moans echoed in the room.

 

Daryl sat up and enveloped her body in his arms. He latched onto her breast licking and sucking with passion. He felt her tighten around him and moved her body up and down on his cock. She screamed when she came and her entire body shook with pleasure.

 

Daryl flipped her onto her back before her orgasm was complete and pounded his dick into her pulsing heat. His balls were heavy and it only took a few quick thrusts before he spilled inside her, panting and cursing.

 

He kissed her lips languidly as he came down from his high. Gabby sighed into his mouth and her arms went around his neck. He kissed her until he was limp and slid out of her. Rolling beside her, he pulled her to him and she rested her head on his chest. Neither of them said a word, they just laid together in each other’s arms. Daryl’s brain was a mess of thoughts and feelings and not one of them was related to his brother.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing but smut here.

Chapter Eighteen-

 

When Gabby opened her eyes, she was in Daryl’s bed, naked and wrapped in his sheets, but he wasn’t there. She ran her hands over the mattress where he had been laying when she fell asleep; it was cold. She had no idea how long she had slept and was worried something had happened, so she jumped out of bed and put on her clothes. 

 

She called out to him as she cracked open the bedroom door. He didn’t respond, but she could see and hear that the television was on, so she stepped out and into the rest of the house. 

 

It was twilight and there were no lights on inside save for the flickering of the the tv. She squinted her eyes and saw him sitting at the kitchen table.

 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Gabby asked him as she sat down at the table. 

 

He looked at her shyly, clearing thinking of what had happened between them. “I feel good; not as agitated.” 

 

“I’m glad,” she replied. She had forgotten about the hot dogs she left laying on the table and was glad to see that Daryl had found them, and was eating. Seeing him eat made her hungry.

 

Reaching into the bag, she brought out two hot dogs and helped herself to some of the fries she had bought for them to share.

 

“I’m glad your eating,” she told him.

 

He laughed quietly. “I’m starving,” he said as he took another bite of his hot dog. He looked at her shyly under his eyelashes. “I worked up an appetite, I guess.” 

 

She smiled at him and reached for his hand. She wasn’t sure if that was a move she should make, but he took hold of hers and squeezed it lightly.

 

“I need to pack some clean clothes before we go to your house. I have to go into town tomorrow and buy a suit for Merle and take it to the funeral home. They said they’d get his body late in the day, so I’ll have to be over there by the afternoon.”

 

“I can go with you, if you want me to,” she offered.

 

“I’d like that,” he said to her. “I should have let you come with me today.”

 

“It’s alright, Daryl. You needed to do that; I understand. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love, someone you’ve been that close to. I know that empty feeling.”

 

“I don’t feel empty anymore,” he said, looking at her and leaning back in his chair. Standing up, he took his trash and threw it in the bin under the sink. “I’m gonna go pack a bag. I’ll be right back.” 

 

He closed the bedroom door and picked up his bag from in front of the closet. He threw in some t-shirts and underwear, a couple pair of jeans and the pajama pants he had worn the night before. His toothbrush and deodorant were still in the bag from when he had packed the day before and he headed to the door.

 

He stopped short as he reached for the knob. Remembering the necklace, he went to his bedside table. He looked at the bed before he sat on it. His mind brought forth the memory from mere hours ago. Tasting her, seeing her beautiful face as she moved above him, and how it felt to spill inside her body.

 

He couldn’t control his smile and brushed his hand over the spot where she had laid. It hadn’t gone the way he had imagined it would. He never thought his brother would die; he never thought that he would be able to, in his grief, show her how he felt about her. 

 

He had hoped that during their postponed date, he would tell her how beautiful she was and how attracted he was to her. He would kiss her softly and take her home where he would take his time undressing her and kiss every inch of her skin. He would hold her in his arms as closely as he could while he moved inside her.

 

It may not have been the situation he imagined, but it was the most amazing experience of his life nonetheless. He brushed aside his thoughts and took the necklace from the drawer. He put it in the side pocket of his bag and walked back out into the house.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl watched Gabby move around the house. She was doing a general pick up of the living room, just putting things back where they belong and straightening the knick knacks and the stacks of books on the side tables. He sensed she was uncomfortable or anxious about something. He hoped she wasn’t regretting what they had done.

 

After about an hour of this, he stood from the couch and went to her. Taking her hand in his, he kissed it sweetly. “What are you doing? Is something wrong?”

 

She shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just have a lot of energy, I guess.”

 

He stroked her cheek then leaned into kiss her lips. “Are you nervous? Do you regret it?”

 

She laid her hands on his chest. “No, I don’t. Do you?”

 

He brushed his fingers through her hair. “Never. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Let me take you to bed; I can help you relax.”

 

Holding the back of her head, Daryl kissed her hungrily and held her close to him. Gabby’s arms went around his neck and they were connected to each other. He picked her up, as he had only a few hours earlier, and took her to her bedroom where he slowly and carefully removed her clothes as he continued to kiss her body.

 

Her hands were on his belt buckle and she swiftly had it open and free from the loops. She pushed his pants and underwear down as far as her arm span would allow and they fell the rest of the way to the floor. Standing on them with one foot, Daryl pulled his feet from them and kicked them behind him. 

 

Gabby reached down and took his hard cock in her hand; Daryl groaned and his forehead fell to her shoulder. “Fuck,” he whispered. He put his hands on her shoulders and held them tight as she moved her hand up and down his length, twisting her hand slightly when she reached the tip.

 

Lifting his head, Daryl held her face in his hands and kissed her hard. He wrapped his tongue around hers, forcing a groan from her throat and her grip on his cock loosened. 

 

“I wanna be inside you,” he said as he pulled away from her. “I wanna hold you, and kiss you, and be inside you.”

 

Gabby didn’t say anything, she just looked in his eyes and nodded her head. She would let him do anything he wanted to her. She had never heard those words before, no one had ever been that direct in telling her what he wanted and it made her feel beautiful knowing that was what he wanted from her. 

 

He held her hand and walked her to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he pulled her to stand in front of him and rested his cheek against her stomach. He wanted to speak; he wanted to tell her how grateful he was for her and how much she meant to him. He wanted to tell her he never wanted to let go of her, but he couldn’t form the words.

 

Instead, he kissed the soft, smooth skin of her stomach. He ran his hands over her body; along her sides, her ass, and her thighs. His tongue dipped into her navel and she inhaled sharply. Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled lazily to herself.

 

Gabby pulled his head back to look at him. “I need you,” she whispered. 

 

Daryl pulled her down onto him and kissed her again. He twisted their bodies until she was on her back beneath him. He wrapped her legs around his waist and settled himself. He touched her face and moved his hand down to her neck and shoulders, and further down her body.

 

He took his dick in hand and lined himself up with her entrance. As he pushed inside her, he put his mouth around her nipple and lavished it with his tongue. 

 

Gabby held his head in place as she moved her hips up to take more of him inside her. Daryl moved in and out of her with slow, methodical movements. He held her arms above her head as he kissed every inch of her skin. His breath came in heavy pants and his teeth grazed against the skin of her neck.

 

She writhed beneath him, her eyes shut tight and moans and sighs coming from her lips. Daryl’s thrusts came harder and faster; his hips snapping with every movement. Gabby’s moans became sharper and higher pitched until they crescendoed into a scream.

 

“Daryl! Oh God! Fuck! Fuck!”

 

Daryl thrust himself inside her faster and growled deep in his chest as he came inside her. He chanted her name in a whisper until he was spent and collapsed on top of her.

 

He laid his cheek on her chest as they caught their breath and when he slipped out of her, Daryl rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Gabby sat up and stood from the bed.

 

Daryl’s eyes popped open at the movement of the bed. “What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

 

Gabby laughed. “I have to pee, and I was going to get a wet rag. If you want one.”

 

Daryl smiled. “Thanks”.

 

Gabby leaned across the bed and kissed his lips, then walked down the hall to the bathroom. Daryl sat up and, with a broad grin on his face, watched her walk away. 

 

He watched her ass sway as she left the room and shook his head incredulously. At no time in his life did he ever think he would meet a woman like Gabrielle. She wasn’t the type of woman he came into contact with at the dive bars his brother had dragged him to. 

 

Women like her had never given him the time of day; had certainly never been kind and understanding toward him. He would bet anything he owned that not one of the women he or his brother had known would even care that Merle was gone much less show him affection or give him comfort.

 

Gabby soon returned and handed him a wet washcloth and a bottle of water. 

 

“Don’t drink it all,” she told him. “My throat is dry and scratchy.”

 

He handed her back the water bottle and used the washcloth to clean himself. “You go ahead and take what you need. I’ll finish it up.”

 

Daryl then rose from the bed and took the wet rag back to the bathroom. When he returned, the half empty bottle was sitting on the nightstand. He climbed back into bed beside her, then finished off the water.

 

Gabby was lying on her back, her eyes closed, and Daryl admired her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then laid his hand on her stomach. Her eyes shot open at his touch.

 

“Shit! I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he said, immediately removing his hand.

 

“You didn’t,” she replied. “I was just waiting for you. I didn’t want to go to sleep until you came back.”

 

He laid on his back and wrapping his arms around her, drew her into his body. “I’m back; you’re safe. You can sleep now.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Gabby prepare for Merle's funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. Y'all rock.
> 
> I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but can't figure out how to fix it. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Nineteen

 

The next morning, Daryl woke up alone. He had imagined waking up with Gabby in his arms, but it was satisfying enough to wake up in her bed. 

 

He yawned and stretched before sitting up and getting out of bed. He put his underwear on and padded out of the room and into the bathroom to relieve himself. He smelled coffee and his mouth watered; it smelled like the coffee they served at Bob Evans. He remembered the last time he had been there and sighed.

 

Gabby was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup in her hand. She smiled when she saw him standing at the doorway. “Good morning,” she said lazily.

 

“Good morning,” Daryl replied as he took a mug from the cabinet and filled it with hot, steaming java. Sitting next to her, he rubbed his hand over his face and took a sip of his coffee. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

 

“Best night of sleep I’ve had since I moved here. How about you?”

 

“Not too bad considering I’ve barely slept for the last two days,” Daryl answered.

 

She placed her hand on his and smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried you wouldn’t be able get to sleep or stay asleep.”

 

She stood and rinsed out her coffee cup, then placed it in the drying rack. “Are you hungry? I can fix breakfast before we get ready to go out.”

 

Daryl got up and stood in front of her. He sat his cup in the sink then brushed the hair away from her shoulder. Leaning in, he kissed her neck softly.

 

“I was thinking we could take a shower, then I’d buy us breakfast. Would that be okay?”

 

Gabby shivered in his arms. “That sounds perfect.”

 

Taking her hand, he lead her through the house to the bathroom where he turned on the shower spigot. When he turned around, Gabby was leaning against the door completely naked. 

 

“Fuck, you are beautiful,” he said in a shaky voice. He was still getting used to seeing her this way. It had been less than twenty-four hours since they had first been together, but he was pretty sure he would never get used to being able to see her like this.

 

“And you are too kind,” she replied. 

 

“It’s the truth,” Daryl said and reached out for her. He held her hand as she stepped into the shower. Stepping in behind her, he kissed her passionately under the spray.

 

Turning from her, he took her bath sponge and her strawberry scented shower gel and lathered her upper body. He washed her carefully moving to her back. After rinsing all the soap from her, he turned her around and placed her palms on the tile wall.

 

He ran his hands up and down her body and nudged her legs apart with his feet. “Gonna get you real dirty before I finish cleaning you up.” His voice was low and deep, and directly in her ear. She gasped when she felt his dick rub against the crack of her ass.

 

Gabby relaxed into Daryl’s body; her head fell back onto his shoulder and she moved against him. He grabbed her hips securely to hold her still. “Do you want me to fuck you, Gabrielle? You want me to fuck you good and proper; fuck you till you can’t stand up?”

 

Those words went straight to her pussy and she whined. “Yes, please,” she begged.

 

His left hand moved down to her thigh and he picked up her leg placing her foot gently on the edge. She gasped again when his fingers touched her clit, gently gliding up and down. She was dripping wet and Daryl growled deep within his chest.

 

“You want my dick, don’t you? You want me to fill you up and pound your pussy until you cum screaming my name?”

 

“Yes, please,” she repeated in a desperate voice. Her pussy was throbbing and her clit was stiff and engorged. 

 

Daryl gently shushed her. “I’m gonna take care of you; I’m gonna take that ache away.”

 

Brushing her wet hair off her shoulder, he placed open mouthed kisses on her skin, then nudged her to bending. He continued rubbing her gently as he guided himself inside her from behind. 

 

He slid in slowly, enjoying the stretch of her walls. When he was balls deep inside her, he grabbed her by the hips again, holding her tight against him. Slipping out to the tip, he slammed inside her hard.

 

Gabby released a choked breath when her pelvis hit the tile wall. Daryl pounded her fast and hard; his panting, hot breath hitting her neck with just as much force. He moved in and out of her with smooth perfection; she would have fingertip bruises on her hips from the strength of his touch.

 

He mumbled incoherent nonsense as he pumped in and out of her. Her breasts were crushed against the tiles; the pressure in her lower stomach was unbearable and she let herself go with a scream.

 

Daryl continued to thrust in and out of her as she came and he wasn’t too far behind her. His final thrust pinned her entire body against the wet tile and it nearly knocked the breath out of her.

 

His breathing was hot and heavy in her ear and she could feel him soften and slip out of her. The water was barely tepid, but neither of them wanted to move. “We need to finish before we freeze to death,” Gabby said.

 

Daryl’s arms went around her waist and he half-laughed. “I just finished, sweetheart. Where were you?”

 

She wiggled out of his grasp and turned to face him. “I mean the shower. I hate freezing cold water.”

 

Without a word, he took her scrub sponge and poured more gel onto it. He washed her lower half and then she did the same for him, quickly. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl followed through on his idea of buying breakfast. They went to Bob Evans, of course; he needed more coffee. Daryl told Gabby what Merle’s arrangements were; she had completely forgotten to ask and he had never told her.

 

There was a viewing scheduled for the next day from six o’clock to nine o’clock at night; the funeral was scheduled for Saturday at eleven. Merle’s obituary was supposed to be in that day’s paper; Daryl and Gabby decided to buy a few extra copies for anyone who might want one. 

 

When they arrived in town, their first stop was McCormick’s, a department store that had been on the same corner for fifty years. Gabby’s mother had even worked there after she had graduated from high school, before Gabby was born.

 

The second they walked into the shop people who had never acknowledged Daryl’s existence approached him to offer their sympathies and condolences. He was startled by the attention; none of these people had ever given him, or his brother, the time of day. He graciously accepted their words, no matter how suspicious he was of their concern.

 

Gabby could tell that Daryl felt uncomfortable and began to run interference, apologizing and telling each person that although Daryl was tired and grieving, he appreciated their words of comfort.

 

Daryl quickly picked out a suit for his brother to be buried in and found Gabby looking at dresses. “What do you think about this one?” he asked her. He held up a pair of black slacks and matching suit jacket along with a white dress shirt and green tie.

 

“Merle had green eyes, just like our momma,” Daryl said in reference to the tie. “I thought he’d look good in it.”

 

“He’ll look great in it,” Gabby replied with a soft smile. “Do you have a suit?”

“No, I think I’m gonna get something just like this; except with a different tie. Are you looking for a dress?”

 

“Yeah, just something casual. I never go anywhere to wear a dress, so I don’t have one.”

 

Daryl nodded. “Get something you can wear out to dinner,” he said and turned to walk away.

 

Gabby settled on a sleeveless black flared dress for the visitation and funeral, and an identical blue one for a more happy occasion. Daryl soon returned with an identical suit to Merle’s with the exception of a blue tie instead of green.

 

After a small, but intense argument, Gabby allowed Daryl to purchase her dresses. She assumed he had offered because he knew she still hadn’t found a job and pitied her and her lack of expendable funds; he assured her that was not the case. He wanted her to know how grateful he was for the comfort and support she had given him and although he felt that buying the dresses wasn’t a good enough way to do it, he insisted.

 

They took Merle’s suit to the funeral home immediately and the gentleman Daryl had spoken to the day before told him they were expecting to receive the body that afternoon and asked if Daryl could arrive for the visitation thirty minutes before the scheduled start time so he could make sure everything was satisfactory.

Daryl agreed and thanked the man for everything he’d done before taking Gabby’s hand and leaving the creepy funeral home. 

 

He was quiet on the way home; his head leaned against the truck window and he stared off into the distance. Gabby didn’t know what to do for him, so she left him in peace. She had given him all the words she knew and had comforted him in the way he needed to feel comfort, but she didn’t know if her words had helped him or if he had used her comfort as a distraction.

 

Gabby had been attracted to Daryl from the moment he ran across the street to wrangle his drunk brother away from her and her UHaul trailer. She knew he was inherently shy and soft-spoken, but she had seen him laugh and make jokes, fall back into the innocence of childhood with his brother, and watched him rage against him, as well.

 

Now, he was mourning his brother. The brother he had threatened to throw out of his own house and disown if he didn’t quit drinking. That alone had to weigh on Daryl’s mind; all the what if’s, good and bad. Gabby didn’t know what else to do for him. She would wait for him to tell her what to do.


	20. The Ghost of Christman Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone from Merle and Daryl's past makes an appearance at the visitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts off sad, but gets better as it goes along.

Gabrielle woke the next morning to Daryl snoring softly next to her. Looking at the alarm clock, she saw it was nine; they had nine and a half hours before they had to be at the funeral home for the visitation. She looked over at Daryl, still softly snoring. He looked peaceful with a slight smile on his face and she didn’t want to be responsible for taking that smile away from him, so she quietly got out of bed, put on her robe and left the room.

 

Sitting at the table, Gabby watched the coffee drip from the machine into the carafe. Placing her elbows on the table, she rested her head in her hands and sighed. It had been twenty-five years since her mother died and ten since her father. Funerals never got any easier. She would readily admit that thoughts of her mother and father had been heavy on her mind.

 

She heard Daryl pad into the kitchen as she poured a cup of coffee. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

 

“Good Morning,” he said in a sleepy, sultry voice. He moved her hair to the side and lightly kissed the skin of her neck.

 

Gabby closed her eyes. “Good morning,” she said as she smiled. She handed the cup of coffee behind her to Daryl.

 

“Thank you,” he responded as he released her and took the cup. “I’m surprised I slept this late. How long have you been up?”

 

“Only long enough to make coffee,” Gabby answered. “Is there anywhere you need or want to go today?” she asked.

 

Daryl took his coffee and sat at the table. He reached out for Gabby’s hand and pulled her onto his lap. “I don’t want to go anywhere until I have to. I was hoping to spend the day here, with you, just doing nothing. I want to hide for a while.”

 

One hand held the handle of his coffee cup, which lay on the table, while his other ran up and down Gabby’s exposed leg. “I want to spend time with you, hold you.”

 

Gabby cupped his cheek and rested her forehead against Daryl’s. “I should make breakfast then. We’re going to need energy if we’re staying in bed all day.” 

 

She didn’t care if Daryl was using her for a distraction. No one had ever touched her the way he had and she wasn't going to say or do anything that might ruin that.

 

Daryl helped her fix breakfast. He cracked and whisked the eggs and put bacon in the microwave while Gabby made biscuit dough. He then scrambled the eggs and poured the bacon grease in a pan so she could make gravy.

 

There wasn't any talking during breakfast, but there didn't have to be; there wasn't anything new or exciting to talk about and the elephant in the room could wait until it’s time. 

 

Deciding to forgo a shower until it was time to get ready for the visitation, Daryl and Gabby went back to the bedroom where they didn't waste time working off the meal.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

They had set an alarm for four o’clock; that would give them time to shower, get dressed, and get to the funeral home on time. However, Daryl’s eyes shot open at three-twenty. He had been dreaming about his brother, and not for the first time. 

 

In this dream, he was down there, in the mine with Merle. Daryl couldn’t see him because he was surrounded by thick coal dust, but he could sense multiple bodies strewn around him. He called out for his brother and began to crawl around the rocks that had fallen and now blocked the way to the vent.

 

He could hear his voice echo in the cave and the mumbling and moaning of the men who lay half unconscious on the ground. “Merle,” he cried. “Merle, I’m coming to get you,” Daryl continued to yell, but there was no response.

 

Soon he stopped where he was and felt his surroundings; nothing but rock and gravel. He heard heavy, booted footsteps in the gravel behind him and turned blindly. 

 

“Hey, baby brother. What the hell are you doing down here? Don’t you have a date with your woman you need to get ready for?”

 

“I came to get you, Merle. I gotta get you outta here or your gonna die,” Daryl said through gasping breaths.

 

Merle chuckled. “You’re too late for that, but I appreciate the effort, little brother. You need to get out of here or you’re gonna miss my send off.”

 

Merle crouched down to Daryl’s level. “I love you, Daryl, and I’m sorry I never showed it. I should’ve been a better brother to you, but you were the best brother anyone could ask for. I’ll always be with you, brother. Tell Frankie I never stopped loving her.”

 

That’s when Daryl woke up, his eyes wide and sweat beading on his forehead. He looked next to him and saw Gabby laying on her back, the sheet barely covering her breasts. He moved to sit on the side of the bed and covered his face with his hands.

 

He had dreamt about Merle everytime his eyes closed, but this one was the first where his brother had spoken to him. Daryl carefully stood and pulled his jeans over his legs. Without zipping or buttoning them, he walked out of the room.

 

Cigarettes in hand, he went out to the back porch and sat at the table. He thought about his dream. Some of it was fuzzy; he remembered the coal dust and crawling around on the floor. He remembered hearing Merle’s voice but not seeing his face.

 

He took a drag from his cigarette and leaned back into the chair before blowing a smoke ring out of his mouth. He heard Merle tell him that he loved him and how sorry he was for being a shitty brother, but that was all. Daryl knew there was more, but it wouldn’t come to him.

 

He didn’t intend to lose track of time, but his thoughts stayed on Merle and what he had said to him in the dream. He had this feeling that Merle had told him something important and he was afraid he was gonna screw it up because he couldn’t remember it. 

 

Daryl was distracted by his thoughts and jumped in surprise when Gabby opened the sliding glass door. 

“Oh shit, Daryl. I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to scare you.”

 

Daryl turned in the chair and remembered what she had said to him the night she had fallen out of her chair. “You didn’t scare me; you startled me,” he smiled at her.

 

“How long have you been awake?” she asked.

 

“Clock said three-twenty. I didn’t want to wake you so I came out here for a while.”

 

Gabby sat in the chair next to him. “Did you have another dream?”

 

Daryl sighed and crushed his cigarette under his shoe. “Yeah, this one was different, though.”

 

Gabby took his hand. “Different how?”

 

“He spoke to me; he told me he loved me and was sorry he was such a shitty brother. I don’t know what to think about that.”

 

“He’s reaching out to you. I guess he feels he can do that now.”

 

“He’s fucking dead, Gabby. I don’t believe in that shit. That was just my brain telling me what I want to hear.”

 

“Well, either way, you’re hearing it; that’s what matters, isn’t it?” Gabby asked, rubbing Daryl’s hand with hers.

 

“I suppose so. I just wish he could have said it in person when he was alive.”

 

“I know, but you do know he loved you even if he never said it out loud.”

 

Daryl leaned in and kissed Gabby softly. “I never had anybody try to make me feel better like you do. I wouldn’t be able to deal with any of this without you.”

 

“I think you could, but I’m glad that you’ve let me be here for you. I didn’t think you would.”

 

“You’re all I have now, got no family left. I’m never letting you go,” he smirked and kissed her again.

 

“We’re going to be late if we don’t get our asses in gear. I’ll help you with your tie,” Gabby said and dragged Daryl back inside. 

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabby pulled into one of the front spots at the funeral home; they had busted their asses to get ready and it was now five twenty-five. 

 

“Do you want to go on in, or sit here for a minute?” Gabby asked as she checked her makeup in the visor.

 

Daryl took a deep breath. “Can we just sit here for a bit. All I gotta do is tell ‘em he looks good and that they did a good job; that shouldn’t take long.”

 

“That’s fine. We can stay here for a while, but you should be in there before anybody else gets here. They're here to give their last respects to Merle, but they’re also her to give their condolences to you.”

 

“I know that, but I’m not ready for this. I just gotta catch my breath.”

 

Gabby let him sit until he was ready to face the situation, and when he was, fifteen minutes later, she held his hand as the walked to the door.

 

The funeral director met them at the front door and escorted them to the room where Merle was resting. The director explained that since most of the physical trauma had been inside the body, very little reconstruction had been done.

 

There had been some cuts and bruising to the face and that is what the make-up artist had been concerned with. When Daryl and Gabby entered the room, he could see Merle's head poking up from the casket and his knees became weak.

 

Gabby put her arm around his waist and walked with him to the casket as the tears began to fall. Daryl dared to reach out and touch his brother’s ashen face. He knew that it was Merle laying there before him, but it didn’t look like his brother.

 

Daryl had never seen a dead body before. His mother hadn’t left anything behind to bury and neither he, nor Merle attended their father’s funeral. 

 

Merle’s face was sunken and gray; his cheekbones were prominent and his hands, which were neatly folded across his stomach, were wrinkled and fat. The pancake makeup on his face wasn’t thick enough to hide the coldness of his skin, but despite all that Merle looked good.

 

What Daryl had always heard was true, his brother looked peaceful, as if her were in a deep sleep. He turned to the funeral director. “I don’t know what he looked like when he came in here, but y’all did a good job. He looks good.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Dixon. It’s obvious your brother was a very loved person. I’m honored to have him with us.”

 

Daryl thought he had walked into the twilight zone. “What do you mean?”

 

“Look around you, Mr. Dixon. We’ve been receiving deliveries all day. Not just all the flowers, but food too. Our kitchen is full of food sent specifically for you and the visitation guests.”

 

Daryl’s eyes went wide as he observed his surroundings for the first time. There were at least ten or twelve flower arrangements and plants decorating the room.

 

“Who sent them?” Daryl asked, bewildered.

 

“I’m not sure, but they all have notes with them. You’re welcome to take them home with you, if you like. If you would like any of them placed at the gravesite, we would be more than happy to take care of that for you.”

 

The director turned to leave but stopped short before exiting the door. “You should visit the kitchen. There’s enough food in there to feed an army.”

 

Daryl was so stunned that he couldn’t move; he wasn’t even sure he was breathing. Gabby took his hand and led him through the forest of plants and flowers stopping at each to admire its beauty and read the accompanying cards.

 

Most of them were from men that had worked with Merle and office personnel from the mining company. There was also a bouquet from Barb and one from Mr. Paul. But the most impressive thing in the room was standing next to the coffin; Daryl had walked passed it without noticing.

 

It was a metal stand holding a ribbon shaped wreath adorned with white and yellow roses interspersed with baby’s breath. The card said, “Thank you, Merle for your loyalty and hard work. You will be missed.” It was signed- Mr. J.D. Price.

 

“Who is he?” Gabby asked.

 

“The owner of the mine company. He owns the whole fucking thing. I wouldn’t have thought he’d know Merle’s name.”

 

Gabby pointed at the card. “That signature is hand-written, it’s not a stamp, and it matches the handwriting on the rest of the note. Price wrote this himself.”

 

Daryl smiled and shook his head in disbelief. “What time is it?”

 

Gabby looked at her phone. “Ten till six, why?”

 

He grabbed her by the wrist. “Let’s check out the kitchen.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Two hours later, Daryl was sitting in the back row of the room that held his brother. He had been talking to Barb for the last thirty minutes trying to ignore the casket that loomed large in his vision. 

 

Gabby had taken charge of the room, greeting each new visitor, making sure Daryl received the condolences given, and offering the bounty in the kitchen.

 

When she noticed the young woman hovering by the entrance of the room, she didn’t hesitate to introduce herself. 

 

“Hello, I’m Gabrielle, Daryl and Merle’s neighbor.”

 

The girl smiled shyly and looked around the room. “Hi, I’m Marlene.”

 

“Did you know Merle?” Gabby asked.

 

“No, but my mother graduated from high school with him. She’s parking the car and should be here any second now.”

 

“Well, you just stay right here,” Gabby told the girl. “I’m going to get Daryl. I’m sure he wants to meet your mother.”

 

She walked quickly to the back of the room. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but there’s a young woman who says her mother and Merle went to school together. She’s on her way in now. I figured you might know her, Barb, and I’m sure you’d like to talk to her, Daryl.”

 

“Sure,” Barb said and stood. Daryl looked to the entrance and saw the girl. She looked familiar, but knew he had never seen her before; he assumed she looked like her mother and that’s what he recognized in her.

 

Before they were able to make it to the front of the room, an older woman with long, blonde/gray hair walked in and put her arm around the young woman.

 

Daryl stopped in his tracks and stared at the woman. He recognized her as someone he had known once. He hung back as Gabby and Barb walked on. Suddenly, he knew who the woman was. 

 

“Frankie,” he whispered with a broad smile on his face.

 

“Daryl Dixon,” the woman said. “Baby brother grew up, didn’t he?”

 

“Frankie, it’s so good to see you,” Daryl replied. They hugged each other like long lost relatives. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Where have you been? How did you find out about Merle?”

 

The woman, Frankie, her daughter, Barb, and Gabby moved to sit down in the front row of chairs nearest the casket. Realizing that Gabby had no idea what was going on, he corrected the mistake before they began talking.

 

“Gabby, this is Frankie Morrow. She and Merle dated in high school,” Daryl said.

 

“It’s so nice to meet you, Frankie,” Gabby said.

 

“I didn’t think I would ever say this, but it’s good to be home,” Frankie responded. “Even if it is to say goodbye to Merle.” She turned to the young woman sitting next to her. “This is my daughter, Marlene. Marlene, this is Daryl, Merle’s little brother.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Marlene,” Daryl said. The girl responded quietly. Daryl could tell she was shy and a little uncomfortable in her circumstances. “So, how did you hear about Merle?”

 

“My sister heard about it. She still keeps in touch with some friends she had in school and they told her. I cried like a baby when she told me.”

 

“I’m glad you came,” Daryl said. “Do you want to go up and see him?”

 

“Yes, please,” she responded. Daryl excused himself and took Frankie and her daughter up to the casket to pay their respects.

 

“So Merle had a steady girl in high school?” Gabby asked Barb. “Just the one? I would have imagined he would have had a slew of them.”

 

“Naw,” Barb answered. “Frankie was the love of his life. Everybody was sure they’d get married after she got out of college.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Nobody really knows. Merle started getting into drugs and alcohol. He went to prison for a few years and that’s when she left. Nobody knew why she left or where she went. This is the first time she’s been back since.”

 

Gabby watched Daryl interact with Frankie. He seemed very comfortable around her and Gabby wondered if Frankie was the first person to ever treat Daryl like a human being. 

 

When Daryl, Frankie, and Marlene returned, the five of them sat and talked until it was time for everyone to go home. Frankie and Marlene helped get all the food together and put it in Gabby’s truck. Daryl asked for a few moments alone with Merle and everyone waited outside until he came back out ten minutes later. 

 

His eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, but he held his head high as he approached Gabby’s truck. “I guess I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” he said as he hugged Barb and then Frankie.

 

“You sure will, darling,” Frankie said. “If you have the time, I need to talk to you about something. It’s not an emergency, but it’s important. Would y’all let me take you out for lunch after the funeral tomorrow?”

 

Daryl looked over at Gabby who nodded her head. “Sure,” he responded. “I always loved talking to you.”

 

As Frankie and her daughter drove to the motel where they were staying, Marlene asked a question. “Are you gonna tell them who I am?”

 

“Yeah, baby. I promised you that your daddy’s family is gonna know who you are, and tomorrow Daryl’s gonna know he has a niece.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabby gets a special gift

Daryl helped Gabby take all the food inside and made sure the perishables were in the fridge or freezer. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally, and needed rest. He moved slowly as he loaded containers into the refrigerator and Gabby noticed. 

 

“Why don’t you go ahead and get in bed? I can finish this; there isn’t much left,” she told him.

 

Daryl was so zombified he didn’t argue. He caressed her cheek and kissed her softly. “Alright, but don’t be too long. I wanna fall asleep with you.”

 

As he walked to the bedroom, Gabby finished putting away the leftovers and thought about Frankie. She was curious about the woman; what kind of relationship had she and Merle had? Was she the reason he got into drugs and alcohol?

 

When all the food was put away, Gabby went around locking doors and turning off lights. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, and when she finally made it to the bedroom, she found Daryl sitting on the edge of the bed still in his suit.

 

“Let me help you,” she said and pulled him up to stand. She started with his jacket, pushing it of his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Then she loosened his tie and laid it on the dresser.

 

“You’ve already helped me so much,” Daryl whispered as Gabby unbuttoned his dress shirt. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to make it this long if you hadn’t been here with me. In a million fucking years, I couldn’t never express how much you mean to me; how much I care about you.”

 

Soon, his shirt hit the floor behind him landing on his jacket. “I care about you too, more than you’ll ever know,” she told him and placed her palms on his bare chest. 

 

Daryl closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Gabby’s. “I wanna fall asleep with you in my arms, is that okay?”

 

“It’s perfect,” she replied and stepped back to take off her dress. Daryl took off his pants and let them fall to the floor where his other clothes lay. Gabby slipped her dress off as she walked to the other side of the bed. 

 

Daryl took her in his arms and she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her leg around his. “I like Frankie,” she said quietly. “She seems very nice.”

 

“Frankie’s the greatest,” he said. “She was like my big sister. She would buy me comic books and toys, she’d even let me tag along on dates with her and Merle.”

 

“I can’t imagine Merle liked that very much,” Gabby chuckled.

 

“He didn’t, but he’d do anything for Frankie. He loved her more than anything in the world.”

 

“What happened to them? Why did she leave?”

 

“I’m not really sure. I was about ten or eleven when it happened. I don’t remember much, except that he’d started selling drugs and some guy he sold to died. He went to prison for selling and involuntary manslaughter. She left after that; didn’t even say goodbye to me.”

 

“Daryl, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

 

“It was the worst time in my life. Merle was gone, Frankie was gone. It was just me and our old man; not a good time. But that’s in the past, there ain’t no reason to think about it now.”

 

“You’re not alone, Daryl,” Gabby told him. “Merle may be gone, but I’m here, and I’ll never leave you.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl slept peacefully that night. He hadn’t been startled awake by disturbing dreams or kept awake by grief. He woke just as the sun peeked over the horizon and rubbed his eyes.

 

Gabby turned over in her sleep and now faced him. Her eyes opened slowly as if they were glued shut. “Good morning,” she said in a gravelly voice.

“Good morning,” Daryl replied and pulled her close. Snuggling close to her, he buried his face in her neck and put his hand on her breast.

 

She felt his hard dick against her thigh and she moved her leg against it. Daryl groaned in her ear and his hand squeezed her breast lightly. “There ain’t no better way to wake up than having my arms around you. I don’t ever want to start the day any other way.”

 

Gabby smiled and moaned at the feeling of him against her. “I don’t either,” she replied as Daryl began kissing her neck. “I want you.”

 

“You got me, hell you’ve had me since the first time I saw you.” He suddenly stopped kissing her. “Even Merle could see it. He teased me about it and I got pissed.” 

 

Gabby thought about that and decided to make a confession. “That morning you and him got into that fight I came back and gave him a piece of my mind.”

 

Daryl sat up and looked at her with a shocked expression. “What did he do?”

 

“He told me that you cared about me and that if I didn’t feel the same then I needed to back off before I hurt you.”

 

“Damn him,” Daryl exclaimed quietly. “Always giving a fuck behind my back. Why couldn’t he do that shit in front of me.”

 

“That’s not who Merle was and you know it. He wasn’t going to change just to make you feel better. He wasn’t like you; he didn’t want anyone to see him as vulnerable.”

 

Daryl released his hold on her and laid back on the bed. “Dammit! Just talking about him kills a boner.”

 

Gabby laughed. “It’s okay. We should get going anyway. I’ll fix breakfast, then we can take a shower and get ready to go.”

 

“Tell you what, how about you go put on some coffee and I’ll run and grab some donuts. You don’t have to cook all the time, and the sooner I can get you in the shower the sooner I can get my boner back.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Gabby was pouring the coffee when Daryl returned. They sat at the table and devoured three donuts each and washed them down with two cups of coffee.

 

After, Gabby took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom where, after getting the shower running, stripped him of the t-shirt and jeans he had thrown on to leave the house.

 

In less than a minute they were both naked and standing under the water stream. Gabby moved back slightly and got on her knees. She looked up at him as water fell onto her face. Daryl pushed the wet hair out of her face and watched as her tongue darted out and licked the tip of his dick.

 

Daryl moaned as his knees went weak; he grabbed the bar on the shower door for support and watched her tongue swirl around his head as her hand gripped him at the base and moved slowly up and down.

 

As she lowered her mouth on him, her hand moved to meet her lips on his length. They looked into each other’s eyes as she sucked and licked him. Daryl held onto the bar with a white-knuckled grip and closed his eyes tight as his head fell back onto his shoulders.

 

“Aaaah! Gabrielle! Fuck, this feels good,” Daryl moaned and ran his free fingers through her wet hair. She moaned around him and his legs began to shake. “I’m gonna cum!”

 

Gabby began to massage Daryl’s balls and continued to hum a tune around his length as he came in a rush down her throat. She sputtered, but was able to swallow most of it down. She paused and got her breath; he had a goofy grin on his face when she looked up at him.

 

Daryl reached down and brushed his thumb across her lips, collecting a drop of cum that sat at the corner. He helped her stand, then wiped his thumb across her lips.

 

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” Daryl said roughly. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her passionately as he stepped forward, backing her up against the tile. His lips moved to her neck, his hand grazed down her wet body, over her breasts and stomach to the short, sparse hair that camouflaged the gold mine he was searching for.

 

“Open your legs for me, beautiful. I wanna make you scream my name.”

 

Gabby gasped as Daryl’s fingers passed lightly over her clit. “You don’t have to do this,” she said in a shaky voice. “I just wanted to help you relax. I know today is gonna be tough for you.”

 

Daryl stopped kissing her. “You don’t want me to touch you?”

 

“It’s not that, I’m just saying you don’t have to. I want you to know that I care about you and that I’m here for you when you need me.”

 

“I will always need you,” he replied breathlessly. “And I want to show you just how much I need you, how much I want you. How much better my life is with you in it.”

 

His lips returned to her neck and she surrendered to him. Who the hell was she to deny him his gratitude.

His fingers continued to manipulate her clit as he left wet, open mouthed kisses down her neck and between her breasts. 

 

He got on his knees in front of her and lifted her leg to place it on the side of the tub. Without a word, he leaned closer to kiss her lips, and leisurely moved his tongue through her folds. She moaned quietly and ran her fingers through his thick hair, pulling lightly and causing him to moan as well.

 

His tongue lavished her and he drank from her. He hummed his adoration and affection around her and she cried out as he brought her to the edge with only his mouth. 

 

He became drunk on her. Daryl never imagined that he would ever be on his knees before the most beautiful, most kind woman he had ever known. He had fallen in love with her so quickly because she had treated him and his brother with more respect than anyone else ever had. She would never be able to understand what that meant to him.

 

“Oh God, oh God, oh God! Fuck, Daryl! Yes!” Gabby cried out as Daryl’s lips and tongue moved faster and harder against her. “I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna cum!”

 

Daryl was desperate to taste her and raised his arms to take her breasts in his hands. He rolled and pinched her nipples until he tasted the torrent of her release.

 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Daaaryyl! Fuck, I love you!”

 

Gabby’s words floated around his ears like fog. Her body shook and began to crumple. Daryl took her by the waist as he stood and held her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder.

 

“Fuck! I’ve never cum that hard in my life,” she said with a weak giggle. 

 

Daryl helped her step out of the shower and sit on the toilet lid, then turned the water off. He wrapped a towel around her and then himself and took her to the bedroom. Gabby laid back on the bed looking at Daryl with a lazy smile on her face.

 

Daryl paced a short length in front of the bed. “Did you mean it? Do you even know what you said?”

 

Gabby sat up. “I’m in love with you, Daryl. Saying it while you were going down on me in the shower wasn’t what I had planned, but there it is.”

 

He came to sit next to her. “I’m in love with you too. I was afraid to tell you because I thought you wouldn’t feel the same. I just lost Merle, I couldn’t lose you too.”

 

Gabby stood from the bed and went to her closet. “You’re not going to lose me. Even if I hadn’t fallen in love with you, I would still be your friend and would always be here for you.”

 

When Daryl pulled socks and underwear out of his bag, he saw the tissue paper that concealed the necklace he had bought her and took it out. Now, he could give it to her without fear of rejection.

 

After they were dressed, Daryl watched Gabby adjust her dress in the full length mirror and walked up behind her. “I got something for ya.”

 

She turned around to see Daryl holding a folded tissue. She smiled brightly and took it from him. “You didn't have to buy anything for me.”

 

“I know,” he replied. “I think you were looking at it too, at least I hope so. I wanted to get you the one you wanted.”

 

She gently opened the delicate wrapping and gasped when she saw what it was. “This is the necklace I was looking at when we had breakfast with Merle. What made you buy this?”

 

“I noticed you looking at the counter and when I said I was going to the bathroom, I went to see what it was. It was something you liked and I wanted you to have it.”

 

“Thank you. It's beautiful. Put it on me, please.”

 

She turned back toward the mirror and held her hair up so Daryl could fasten the clasp. Once it was secured, she let her hair down and admired her gift.

 

“At first, I didn't know which one you had looked at, but then I remember you told me that you wanted to be a writer. I hoped I was making the right choice.”

 

“You did,” she answered. Turning back to face him,she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “We should leave. You’ll need to be there before everyone else. I’m sure the funeral director will need to speak to you.”

 

“Alright,” he conceded. “Let’s say goodbye to Merle.”


	22. Laid to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle is laid to rest, but Daryl and Gabby both receive good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left. See you on Wednesday!

Chapter Twenty-two Laid to Rest

 

When they arrived at the cemetery, Gabby pulled into the parking lot in front of the office. They could see the tent and chairs that had been set up for the graveside service and Daryl’s eyes were focused on them. He hesitated before following Gabby into the building. 

 

The funeral director was waiting for them in the lobby and walked them back to his office. He explained what would be happening and let Daryl know that if there was anything special he wanted he would do his best to accommodate him. 

 

Merle was to have a military funeral and five members of the USMC were to be pallbearers and would present Daryl with a United States flag in honor of his brother’s service.

 

Merle’s body was ready to be moved to the plot and would be driven the short distance ten minutes before the scheduled time to begin in a traditional hearse with Gaby and Daryl following behind in the truck.

 

When they had fifteen minutes to wait, the two went outside for some fresh air. Daryl pulled his cigarettes from his pants pocket and lit one. He sat on the bench and looked over at the tent. 

 

“It still doesn’t seem real, ya know? I half expect him to walk out that door and tell me it was all a practical joke.”

 

Gabby sat next to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know. I felt the same way about my mom for a long time, even after she was buried. Everytime the phone rang, I thought it was her calling to tell me she had just left for a while and now she was back.”

 

“How long did it take to stop thinking that way?” he asked her.

 

“A few months, I guess. I dreamt about her for at least two years though. You’re always gonna think about him, but at some point you won’t think about him as much and you won’t even realize it. It won’t go away, but it will get better.”

 

Just then, the funeral director stuck his head out the door and told them it was time. Daryl stubbed out his cigarette beneath his shoe and put the butt in the depository next to him. He followed Gabby to the truck and waited with her until the hearse appeared. 

 

Pulling out behind it, Gabby followed it down the hill to the gravesite. There were already people waiting; Barb and Laura, Mr. Baisden and his wife, and Frankie and Marlene were milling around talking to each other and trying to find a seat. 

 

The Marine Corp officers were waiting as well, and when the hearse pulled up, they immediately went to the back and slid the casket out. Daryl and Gabby walked behind them, her hand in his, and watched the men place the casket on the support.

 

They took their seats in the front row. In the next few minutes, more people arrived. Frankie and Marlene moved from their seats in the back to the row behind Daryl and Gabby. Daryl told Frankie that he wanted them to sit on the front row with him; if things had been different, she would have been his sister-in-law. He felt the front row was where she belonged.

 

The service was relatively short. The pastor from the funeral home had spoken; Daryl had told him about Merle and a few stories from their childhood to relay at the gravesite. Daryl held himself together well, only crying openly when he was presented with the United States flag.

 

After the service, the director asked Daryl if he wanted to watch the casket be lowered into the ground. Daryl said no, but refused to leave the cemetery until it was done.

 

Daryl, Gabby, Barb, Frankie, and Marlene stood in the bright sunshine and spent the time talking. They told stories about Merle and Daryl would sneak glimpses of his brother’s casket being lowered. 

 

A man came up to the group and introduced himself as Jack Boling. Daryl recognized the name but not the face. He had heard Merle mention the man before. Jack had worked for the mine when he first got out of high school and Merle had taught him everything he needed to know.

 

Daryl introduced everyone and when he said Gabby’s name, Jack smiled. “Gabrielle Ellis, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said.

 

“Really?” she asked, confused.

 

“Merle called me up one day last week and told me all about you. He said you’d just moved here and hadn’t found a job yet and wondered if I’d have a place for you.”

 

“Where do you work?” she asked.

 

“I’m an administrator at the community college here in Logan County. I’d like to talk to you about being a teacher’s assistant for this upcoming fall semester.”

 

Gabby was shocked, but Daryl wasn’t. He knew how much his brother respected their neighbor and that when Merle liked and respected you, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

 

“I would love to talk to you about that. Do I need to call and make an appointment?”

 

“Is Monday at one o’clock good for you?”

 

“Yes, it is. Thank you very much.”

 

“Don’t thank me, thank Merle. He sang your praises; told me you would be a great addition to the staff.”

 

Jack and Gabby shook hands, then he walked to his car. Daryl looked back at the burial plot and saw that dirt was being shoveled into the hole. “I think it’s time to leave. Where are we meeting for lunch?” he asked Frankie.

 

“Parkway is just down the street. Is that okay?”

 

Everyone agreed and walked to their cars. Within fifteen minutes they were all seated at a booth against the back wall of Parkway. After putting in their orders, Frankie started her story.

 

“I know you were pretty young when Merle went to prison and I moved away. I don’t know what you remember, or what you knew at the time, but there are some things I need to make sure you know.”

 

Daryl gave the woman his undivided attention. He had always had questions; he knew there were details he hadn’t been told and was eager to learn the truth.

 

“Merle and I knew we were going to get married before we graduated from high school; he made a plan and everything. He would get a job doing whatever he could making as much money as he could. We knew it would take a few years to save up, but he wanted to get out of Mudfork; I wanted to go to college and become a teacher.”

 

Daryl remembered that. He was always behind at school and she had helped him with his homework. She was the one who had been able to explain Algebra and the Theory of Plate Tectonics to him. He had passed fifth grade because of her.

 

“So, he got a job working in the mines and I ran a cash register at the Valley Market for three years. What I didn’t know was that he had started selling drugs for additional income. I only found out when he was arrested, and he was an addict by then.”

 

Daryl had a very clear memory of his brother’s arrest. The cops had come to their house to pick him up; their father had been home and the aftermath had not been pretty.

 

“It was also around that time that I found out I was pregnant. When Merle was sentenced to prison, I knew I couldn’t wait for him; I wasn’t going to raise a child who could only see her father once a week and behind a glass partition. I didn’t want our child to carry the burden of knowing her father was in prison.”

 

Daryl’s wide eyes focused on Marlene. “Is she? Is she Merle’s daughter?”

 

“Yes,” Frankie answered, taking her daughter’s hand and squeezing it tight.

 

He realized now why she had looked so familiar. She had her father’s green eyes. “He didn’t know, did he?”

 

“No, I never told him. I went to see him in prison about a week after he had arrived there. I told him that I couldn’t trust him anymore, that I couldn’t wait for him, and that he had ruined everything. I was scared and angry. I didn’t want him to know about his child.”

 

Daryl nodded his head in understanding. He didn’t agree with it, but he could accept why she had done what she did. He turned to Gabby. “I have a niece,” he said with a smile. “I want to know everything. Where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing all these years.”

 

“I have a sister who lived in Michigan. She was six years older than me and was out of college. She helped me get into school, find scholarships and helped take care of Marlene after she was born. I went on a few dates during that time, but I never had a serious relationship with anyone after Merle.”

 

Daryl knew it was true. He recognized the look in Frankie’s eyes; it was the same look she had all those years ago every time she talked about Merle. He had always known that they were it for each other. Merle hadn’t risked another relationship either. He had been devastated when she left and promised himself he would never become emotionally involved with a woman ever again.

 

“Merle never did either, ya know. He never stopped loving you. Hell, he still talked about you, mostly when he was drunk. He always wondered where you had gone, if you’d gone to school, and if you ever got married. He made himself sick thinking about you.”

 

“I did the same, Daryl. Marlene helped me put everything in perspective, it was like having a piece of Merle with me.”

 

Daryl nodded. Now he had a piece of his brother as well. He then looked at Marlene. “So, tell me about you?”

 

Marlene smiled and blushed. “Well, I graduated from high school three weeks ago and I’m gonna be starting the University of Michigan in the fall.”

 

“Wow!” Daryl exclaimed. “Neither me nor your dad went to college. What are you gonna study?”

 

“I want to be a teacher like mom, probably elementary education.”

 

Daryl smiled. “Your dad would be so proud of you. I’m proud of you. Maybe the Dixon name will mean something now.”

 

Marlene looked at her mom. “Can I ask him?”

 

“Go ahead, sweetie,” Frankie answered with a smile.

 

“Ask me what?” he said.

 

“I was wondering what you would say if I told you I wanted to change my name to Dixon?”

 

Daryl was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say or do. No one in their right mind would choose to have Dixon as their last name. But, if she wanted to tell everyone who she was, and claim the godawful birthright that was the Dixon name, he would not stand in her way.

 

“If you really want to be known as a Dixon and everything that means, I won’t stop you. I’d be honored to share my name with you.”

 

Marlene smiled and stood. She took Daryl’s hand and pulled him up then hugged him tighter than she had ever hugged another human being.

 

After she removed herself from him and they sat back down, Daryl had an idea. “How long are y’all gonna be able to stay?”

 

“For a few more days, at least. I wanted to show her all the places Merle and I used to hang out,” Frankie said.

 

“Good,” Daryl said, relieved. “I’d like to get to know you and I’m sure you would like to have something that belonged to your dad. I was thinking maybe you two could help me clean out Merle’s room. If there’s something you want to keep, you can have it.”

 

Frankie teared up. “Thank you, Daryl. That means so much to both of us.”

 

“Merle would have given y’all anything you wanted or needed. He would have wanted you to have something of his,” Daryl said. 

 

Daryl was still smiling when he and Gabby returned to her house. He hadn’t stopped talking about Marlene; how much she looked like Merle, how proud Merle would have been of her, and that he had family again.

 

Daryl held her that night. Despite having buried his brother earlier that day, Daryl was in a good mood. He wrapped Gabrielle in his arms and held her close.

 

“I want to help her, do something for her,” he said regarding his niece. “She’s going to college in the fall and I want to send her some of the money from Merle’s life insurance. It’s hers by right.”

 

“You’re a good man, Daryl,” Gabby said lovingly.

 

“If Merle had known about her, he would’ve provided for her. Since he can’t, I will.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they all lived Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read, commented, left kudos, and bookmarked this story. It's always sad when a story ends, even though its a happy ending. Y'all rock!

Chapter twenty-three

 

Three weeks later, Daryl received two life insurance checks that totaled one hundred thousand dollars. He took the checks to the bank and spoke to an accounts manager. He explained what he wanted done with the money.

 

Fifteen thousand was to go to the cemetery and funeral home to pay for Merle’s funeral. Then, he wanted twenty thousand transferred to the education account he had Frankie set up for Marlene. This was strictly for any expenses her scholarship wouldn’t pay for. He then opened a trust account in his niece’s name in the total of twenty-five thousand dollars payable after confirmed graduation from college.

 

The remaining forty thousand went into his own account. He had plans for his future, which now included Gabrielle, and he wanted to be able to provide for anything that might come their way. 

 

Gabrielle had been meeting with Professor Julia Patterson, the English Literature teacher she would be assisting, every day for the past week. She would be assisting the professor in every way; reading and grading papers, scheduling meetings with her students, recording grades, and, when called upon, taking over as director of the class. 

 

She had begun to re-familiarize herself with the texts that would be covered that semester and was exhausted when she got home. Daryl had returned to work at Baisden Brothers’ Hardware and the two of them would arrive home every night around the same time.

 

For Daryl, home was still Gabrielle’s house. Frankie and Marlene had spent two days helping him clean out the house he had shared with Merle. He had let his niece take anything she wanted of her father’s, she deserved it more than he did. She had taken home Merle’s military sharpshooting medals, his uniform, and the American flag Daryl had received at the funeral, among other things.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl stopped and grabbed something to eat after he left the bank. He had the day off and wanted to do some research on the computer. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for exactly, and didn’t know how long it would take to find it, but hoped he would be able to before Gabby got home.

 

The water was just beginning to boil in the pot on the stove as Gabby’s truck pulled up to the house. As had become tradition for them, Daryl met her at the door and kissed her passionately before ever saying hello.

 

“I missed you,” he whispered as their lips parted. 

 

“I missed you too,” Gabby replied. “Are you fixing dinner?”

 

“Mmmm, it’s just spaghetti. No big deal. I was gonna make that garlic bread ya bought to go with it, maybe open a bottle of wine.”

 

“Sounds good to me. I’m starving,” Gabby said and dropped her bags on the couch.

 

“Why don’t you take a shower and change clothes. Dinner should be ready by the time you’re done. There’s a couple of things I want to talk to you about.”

 

“Okay,” Gabby replied nervously.

 

“It’s nothing bad, sweetheart. I got a surprise for ya.”

 

“I love surprises,” she said and smiled widely, then rushed into the bathroom to get ready.

 

Twenty minutes later, Gabby stepped into the kitchen and watched Daryl pour wine into each of their glasses. “Right on time,” he said when he looked up and saw her standing in the doorway.

 

“I’ve never been late for dinner a day in my life,” she laughed, “and with a surprise waiting, it's a wonder it took me this long to get ready.”

 

Daryl pulled out a chair for her, then sat a bowl of spaghetti on the table followed by a plate of garlic bread. 

 

“So, what is this surprise?” she asked.

 

“Patience, Gabrielle. Don’t you want to ask me how I spent my day off?”

 

She sighed. “So, what did you do today?”

 

“I went to the bank and got all that money taken care of. I paid off the funeral home and cemetery, put some money in Marlene’s college account, and set up a trust for her when she graduates. I put the rest in my account.”

 

“That’s a good thing you did, Daryl.”

 

“She deserves that money, besides she needs it more than I do. I know she got that scholarship, but it only pays for certain things. It’s time her daddy started taking care of her.”

 

“I can’t stop thinking about how different things would have been for Merle if he had known about her,” Gabrielle said.

 

“Me too,” he agreed, “but I can’t dwell on that; doesn’t matter anyway. Frankie did a good job, raised her right.”

 

Daryl let his mind go to that place for a moment before he came back to reality and finished his story.

 

“Anyway, when I got home I got on the computer.”

 

Gabby’s eyebrows raised. “Looking up anything special?”

 

“I know you’ve been exhausted every night this week, and I know that when the semester starts it’ll get worse. I thought that we could go somewhere, maybe the weekend before classes start? I rented a cabin for us.”

 

Gabby smiled brightly. “That sounds perfect.” She shook her head from side to side. “That is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”

 

Daryl looked at her quizzically. “I don’t understand.”

 

“Of all the men I’ve ever known, you are the first to show me how you feel. You realized that when classes start, we might not be able to spend as much time together, or be together as often. No man ever did something like this, thinking about me, ya know.”

 

“You’re all I think about,” he said. “As long as I still fall asleep with you and wake up with you, I can handle not seeing you as much during the day. That kinda brings up the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

 

Gabby took a sip of her wine and waited for Daryl to continue. She was sure that whatever it was he had to say would be just as surprising as the weekend getaway and she couldn’t wait to hear what it was.

 

“I want to sell the house. The more I stay here with you, the less I consider that my home. There ain’t nothing for me over there, anyway. The most important thing in my life is right here.”

 

“Are you saying that you want us to live together?” 

 

“Look, I know we haven’t known each other long enough to live together, but yeah, might as well.”

 

Gabby chuckled. “I agree that we haven’t known each other very long; there are still things we don’t know about each other, but I think that the things I do know about you are enough. You’ve been living here for almost a month now. I’d feel lonely if you left.”

 

“It’s settled then,” he said with a smile. “We’ll go this weekend and talk to a realtor. I can start moving some stuff in and clean out the rest of the house.”

 

“I always knew that moving back here would put me in a better place, but I never thought that would include meeting someone like you and your brother,” Gabby said thoughtfully.

 

“You changed my life, Gabrielle,” Daryl admitted. “I think you may have changed Merle’s life too. We wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for him.”

 

“I know. I’ll always be grateful his drunk ass offered to help me move in.”

 

“Me too,” Daryl agreed.

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

Daryl pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the park rangers station. It was Labor Day weekend and the last chance he and Gabby would be able to spend this much uninterrupted time together.

 

When he made the reservation he had made sure that the cabin had a full kitchen and was located on the outskirts of the camping area. He didn’t want to be disturbed or have to leave the cabin for any reason.

 

They had stopped at a small grocery store on their way and picked up a few items to last them the weekend; mostly snacks and drinks, but also stuff for sandwiches. Something quick and easy that wouldn’t take all of their precious time.

 

He climbed back into the truck with a set of keys and a map of the park; their destination circled in red sharpie.

 

“I wanna get this food put up first, then we can make lunch and go for a walk on one of the trails if you want to,” he said as he started the truck up and pulled out of the parking lot.

 

“Sounds great,” Gabby said. “We had a family reunion here when I was fifteen. I haven’t been back since and I can’t wait to see it again.”

 

“Merle and Frankie brought me out here a couple of times. I got to go swimming and Merle taught me about all the plants and trees, so I’d know what was good and what to stay away from.”

 

Gabby smiled at the thought of big, gruff Merle Dixon taking a walk with his little brother, holding his hand and imparting his wisdom. 

 

The cabin Daryl had rented was relatively small. There was the living room, kitchen and dinette, and the bedroom with connecting bathroom. The back porch was decorated with two rocking chairs and a swing, which they both wanted to take advantage of later.

 

Daryl carried their bags into the bedroom while Gabby took the groceries to the kitchen. It was fully furnished with a full sized refrigerator and stove; there was even a microwave and toaster oven on the counter. 

 

After putting their bags in the bedroom, Daryl came into the kitchen and helped Gabby put the food away and make sandwiches. They looked at the map and chose a circular two mile trail that wasn’t far from their cabin. It was indicated that it should take approximately an hour to walk the length of the trail, but neither Daryl, nor Gabby were in a hurry. 

 

Before they left for their walk, Daryl pulled an old Nikon out of his bag. “I didn’t know you had a camera,” Gabby exclaimed.

 

“I’ve had it for years. Merle bought it for me when I was twenty-one. I went through a photography phase; can’t remember the last time I used it, but I got something beautiful to take pictures of now. I might get back into it.”

 

She kissed him and smiled. “You’re such a smooth talker.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

The air was crisp and the sun beat down on them. Occasionally, they would stop so Daryl could take pictures of Gabby with the flora painted landscape. He pointed out all the trees and flowers he knew, thanks to his brother.

 

The trail lead past the creek that ran through the park. They stopped to take a break and Daryl used the time to skip rocks into the shallow water. 

 

“It’s so beautiful,” Gabby said with a sense of wonder. “This is why I wanted to move back here. South Carolina has its beauty, but this is my home.”

 

Daryl came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s our home, remember. Speaking of which, I wanna get back to the cabin; start our weekend off properly.” He brushed her hair back and kissed her neck.

 

Gabby glanced at her watch. “It’s only been six hours.”

 

“A torturous six hours,” he replied. “I want you every minute of every day. That’s what you do to me.”

 

Gabby moaned lowly as Daryl’s hand grazed her breast. “We better get to it then if we’re gonna get back to the cabins. We don’t want to waste anymore time, do we?”

 

“I wasted enough time waiting for you; I ain’t wasting no more.”

 

**************************************************************************************************************

 

They crashed through the door of the cabin, hands and lips in a frenzy of movement. Daryl held her against the door and quickly had her shirt above her head and on the floor.

 

His lips moved to her neck, collarbone, and chest, while his hands roamed her skin and his knee rested between her thighs. “I’m gonna spend this entire weekend fucking you on every flat surface in this cabin,” he said roughly.

 

“Best weekend of my life,” Gabby responded. 

 

“Then let's get to it,” Daryl said and ran his hands down her back stopping at her bra strap. He pulled hard enough to rip the fastens apart and slid it down her arms until it was on the floor.

 

Picking her up by her thighs, Daryl carried her to the bedroom and dropped her on the bed. He quickly kicked off his shoes, and pulled his shirt over his head. The clink of his belt buckle hitting the floor got Gabby’s attention, and she propped herself up onto her elbows. 

 

“Is that for me?” she asked coyly, pointing to Daryl’s hard cock.

 

“It’s got your name on it, but I’m not sure if you really want it,” he replied with a sinister grin.

 

“I neeeed it,” she whined. “I need it so bad, Daryl. I feel so empty,” she said and gave him a sad, pouty face.

 

He took her by the ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed. “Oh, I’m gonna give it to you. I’m gonna give it to you real good, but there’s something else I wanna give you first.”

 

Getting down on his knees, Daryl scooted closer to her, then lifted her legs and placed her feet on his shoulders. He left open mouthed kisses on her thighs and slowly made his way down to the sweet spot between them.

 

Her fingers feathered his hair as he came closer to where she wanted him to be. His face hovered above her and he inhaled her. 

 

“You smell so sweet, Gabrielle. Eating your pussy is one of my favorite things to do.”

 

Daryl licked a strip from her ass to her clit then kissed her lips lazily. He slipped his finger inside her and moved it in and out slowly as his tongue swam circles around her tip. Adding an additional finger, he moved inside her in time with the movements of his mouth.

 

Gabby squirmed on the bed, her fingers scraping across Daryl’s scalp. She moaned and keened leisurely with every ounce of pleasure she was experiencing. He was taking his time with her, slowly and torturously leading her to orgasm.

 

The more she writhed the quicker Daryl’s movements became. His dick was throbbing and he desperately needed to be inside her. His mouth and fingers switched places and he fucked her with his tongue and rubbed her 

engorged clit with fervor.

 

Her body moved uncontrollably as his fingers and tongue moved faster. When she came, it felt like an explosion; she felt boneless and weightless as she fell off the cliff.

 

Daryl drank her in, then kissed her lips softly before working his way up her body. He placed open mouthed kisses on her stomach and ribs before spending time licking and sucking on her breasts. Gabby lay motionless beneath him; her heartbeat and breath slowly regulating.

 

Her arms wrapped around him and he lifted his head to look at her. “I love you,” he told her.

 

She hummed and smiled lazily. “I love you too, Daryl.”

 

Sitting up, he turned her body over to lay her on her stomach. He placed her palms on both sides of her head, then, starting with the back of her neck moved his lips and hands down her body.

 

When he reached the curve of her ass, the point where it meets her lower back, he gripped her hips and pulled them up. “You still want my dick,Gabrielle?”

 

“Yes, please,” she begged.

 

Daryl moved her legs apart and lined himself up. He pushed inside her slowly, relishing the feeling of Gabby stretching for him. Gripping her hips tight, he moved in and out of her sharply, pushing deeper inside her with each thrust.

 

She buried her head in the mattress and gripped the sheets tight as Daryl stood behind her thrusting and panting. The pressure in his balls was unbearable and he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

 

“Fuck!” he exclaimed. He cried out her name over and over as he released inside her then pulled out and collapsed next to her on the bed. 

 

Still on her stomach, Gabby turned her head to face Daryl. “I fucking love you so much.”

 

Brushing the hair from her face, Daryl scooted closer and put his arm around her. “I love you more than anything else in the world. If you can wait an hour, I’ll do it again.”

 

 

The End.


End file.
